Solar plans for Meifod farmland

By Elgan Hearn, Local Democracy Reporter

A farm near Meifod wants to harness the power of the sun to lower their electricity bills by building a solar panel array on a field.

A planning application to build a 500 kilowatt (kw) solar array and the associated works was lodged with Powys County Council by farmers D Jones and son of Mathrafal.

The site is close to where this year’s Urdd National Eisteddfod was held and last month the applicants received planning permission for a replacement barn to be built close to where they want to place the solar array.

Planning agent Richard Corbett of Roger Parry and partners explained the proposal in a design and access statement.

Mr Corbett said: “The development would support farm diversification and help to create and retain jobs in the existing farm business.

“The generation of renewable electricity through the operation of the proposed solar scheme would help secure the future of the family farm.”

Mr Corbett explained that the solar panels would produce an estimated 557 kilo watt hours (kWh) of renewable energy which would “reduce the “farming business electricity requirement”.

Surplus energy could also be exported to the National Grid.

Mr Corbett points out that due to the cost of living crisis energy, costs have shot up “dramatically” and more energy generation from renewable sources will reduce the cost of importing it from other countries.

He added: “The site is part of a grazing/arable field and is bounded with existing hedgerows.

“Any views from the nearby road will also be screened with hedgerows.”

The site is also in a flood zone with the River Vyrnwy running close by.

But as the panels are “raised off the ground” Mr Corbett does not believe they would be affected by flooding.

The panels would be fixed on metal frames and would face south.

The structure would have a maximum height of about three metres above ground level.