Long Sutton, South Warnborough, Upton Grey and Greywell are facing the prospect of two major commercial solar farms being built in very close proximity to the villages. Clearly, the impact for all residents will be significant, as will it also be for the thousands of Hampshire residents that spend leisure time cycling and walking in our villages.
Just how damaging will the farm be? Take a look at our ‘Reality of the Impact‘ post to see what a commercial solar development looks like up-close.
The most significant development is the 105 hectare Long Sutton proposal (which, at time of writing, is yet to be submitted). As you can see from the image above, the development would encompass nearly two thirds of the village border.
The nearby Chosley Farm solar farm application has been approved, and work is starting on this plant. This 95 hectare development will be a highly visible development adjacent to the Alton Road. As with all commercial sites, it will include highly intrusive security fencing and associated CCTV stations.
Cumulatively, we are potentially facing a 200+ hectare series of commercial-scale solar farms around our villages. To put this into simple terms – that would be the equivalent of 380 football fields.
Adding to this situation, there is also a third significant farm that will be in our area. A 95 hectare farm is being developed at Bunkers Hill in Hook. This farm is less than seven miles away from our villages, and would be highly visible from the Reading Road. As you can see from the map below, North Hampshire has a number of existing and proposed solar farms. We feel it’s important to put the local schemes in context, to also demonstrate the impact that these sites will have on our village communities.
