A solar array of 144 panels is due to be built on land opposite Bere Mill, near Whitchurch, after permission was granted by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council (BDBC) on Monday, January 13.
The property consists of several separate buildings, both domestic and commercial in nature. The site is surrounded in agricultural land used for grazing livestock.
The main domestic residence on the site is the Mill House, a Grade II listed building and developers say the proposal “aims to minimise the impact of the solar array installation on this protected building.”
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The location of the panels (Image: BDBC)
A design access statement prepared by Reduce Limited on behalf of Rupert Nabarro states that the mill site has a rich history in using natural sources of energy to produce water marked paper but has been inactive in terms of energy generation in recent years.
It reads: “This proposal is to connect a solar array to this property, to once again provide clean energy to operate the lighting, heating and other electrical energy loads on the site.
“There are also two other properties on the site that will benefit from this proposed solar array. The Fish House, a domestic property operated as a let property and a Butchery. The output from the array is to be proportionally split to deliver energy directly to each property.”
The proposal is to install a ground mounted solar array in the field 80m east of the Mill.
According to plans, the location has been chosen to “minimise the visual impact of the installation on the property.”
There will be three rows of panels, each row with panels in a two panel high configuration.
The purpose of this installation is to reduce the grid supplied electricity used at the property with an aim to reducing the carbon emissions associated with the grid supplied electricity.
The application itself received mix responses from neighbours and residents nearby. One objection, from Julia Chedgey, argues the panels should be installed on the building in order to not pollute the countryside.
She said: “It is in the middle of a conservation area and as such should be kept as a natural area for people to enjoy especially as there is a public footpath next to the proposed site.
“The owners of Bere Mill have a large converted barn and their house which has considerable roof space for the erection of solar panels which would be I assume sufficient for their own use. We cannot keep polluting our much loved countryside in this country with unsightly constructions.”
Another neighbour, Kieran Peters, is in favour of the plans.
He commented: “We definitely need more renewable energy sources and this would be brilliant to have.”
Approval was granted by BDBC with a condition that if the solar panel array ceases to operate for a continuous period of 6 months, then a scheme for the decommissioning and removal of the solar panel array and ancillary equipment together with the restoration of the site shall be submitted within three months of the end of the cessation period to the Local Planning Authority for written approval.
Readers can view and comment on the full application by visiting the BDBC planning portal and searching 23/02658/FUL|Installation of a ground mounted solar array of 144 solar panels.|Land Opposite Bere Mill London Road Whitchurch Hampshire.