Welsh Government Plans Major Solar Farm Near Bodelwydden and St George

A major solar farm is planned for land near Bodelwydden and St George, Abergele.
Welsh Government has notified Denbighshire County Council about its intentions for an environmental impact assessment for a development of national significance.
Plans are underway for the construction, operation, and maintenance of a solar photovoltaic electricity generating system and battery energy storage system (‘BESS’).
The plans include associated solar arrays, inverters, transformers, cabling, substations, access tracks, landscaping, ecological enhancement areas, and associated ancillary developments.
The land is described as near Bodelwyddan, Denbighshire, on the border with Conwy County Council and located to be within 2km of five ‘Scheduled Monuments’ in the ‘study area’.
These include St George’s Well, which is 330m south of the site, and the First World War Practice Trenches at Bodelwyddan Park, 450m to the north, as well as Tyddyn Bleiddyn Burial Chamber, Bedd-y-Cawr Hillfort, and The Mount.
The land is considered moderate quality agricultural land (grade 3b), with some small areas of good quality land (3a).
There are other existing solar farms in the area as well as a windfarm substation planned for St Asaph.
Both councils are being consulted and have until January 31 to respond to the ‘scoping’ process.
Abergele councillor Paul Luckock welcomed the plans. “My attitude to all of these environmental schemes is that they are positive,” he said.
“They (Welsh Government) will need to take into account very local issues, but in principle I’d be totally supportive.”
He added: “In principle I’m supportive of these developments because, not just from the environmental point of view but for development in general, we need to generate the economy locally, and if people are going to invest, then I’d welcome it.”

By Richard Evans – Local Democracy Reporter

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