April 2, 2014 5.18 pm This story is over 118 months old

Large solar farm on former Lincolnshire RAF base approved

Major solar development: Planning permission has been granted for a 50MW solar farm on the site of a former RAF base.

Planning permission has been granted for a solar farm with 196,000 panels on the site of a former RAF base near Lincoln — one of the largest in the country.

The ground-mounted solar photovoltaic modules, provided by Lunar Energy, will generate up to 50MW at the former RAF Faldingworth base.

The site will also include transformers housed in buildings, a control building, a switchgear room, and boundary security fencing with CCTV cameras.

The airfield is currently privately owned and totals 150 hectares of land made up of small areas of woodland, a number of buildings, runways and aircraft hard standings.

The farm will be erected on the 150 hectare RAF site.

The farm will be erected on the 150 hectare RAF site.

West Lindsey District Council had initially granted planning permission for a solar park with an output of 10MW, but the additional 40MW plan has now been secured.

The solar panels will be planted in a grid pattern across the site and positioned 0.5 metres from the ground.

There will be a space of around 5 to 7 metres between each row to avoid shading.

Solar panel designs by Lunar Energy.

Solar panel designs by Lunar Energy.

RAF Faldingworth was used during and after the Second World War by number 300 (Polish) Squadron.

The site is not covered by any international or national designations relating to nature conservation and importance.

While no comments from residents were received during the planning process, the Clerk to Faldingworth Parish Council recommended that the applications should be refused due to the close proximity of Faldingworth Base, who deal with the manufacture, storage, testing and disposal of explosives.

Another large 36MW solar farm has been proposed on the edge of Lincoln, between the Burton and South Carlton villages.