A 海角视频 renewable energy developer has submitted plans to Wiltshire Council for the development of a 28MW solar farm.
Exagen will build the Swallet Energy Park on land south of the M4 between the B4069 and the Swindon to Chippenham railway line. The application follows an extended period of public consultation and environmental assessment to inform the final design.
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Swallet Energy Park would be Exagen's fifth large-scale renewable energy project to enter planning in the past 12 months. The solar farm would help the council achieve its goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2030.
Public consultations in April and May 2023 included webinars and a public exhibition to capture residents鈥 views on the development. Changes prompted by local consultation include additional setback distances from listed buildings, the planting of new trees, hedgerows, wildflower meadows and a new access point located away from neighbouring properties.
The Swallett Energy Park project demonstrates Exagen鈥檚 commitment to the 海角视频鈥檚 target of 100% decarbonised electricity system by 2035 through building, owning, and operating renewable energy generation projects. The company aims to establish a rolling output of 500MW of 海角视频 sites securing planning permission and entering construction, year on year.
Mark Rowcroft, managing director of Exagen Development said: 鈥 The planning submission for the Swallett Energy Park is not just a great achievement by the team at Exagen, it鈥檚 also a testament to the commitment of Wiltshire Council and local communities to meet net zero goals by providing renewable energy.
鈥淲iltshire Council is at the forefront of environment and climate change. We鈥檝e taken input from local communities through months of public consultation, as well as from Council officers with discussions focused on landscape, highways, ecology, built heritage and archaeology. It鈥檚 important to us to build renewable energy projects that work for the people and the environment where we operate.鈥
Exagen continues to expand its current pipeline of 2.5GW of projects in development, supported by funding from the Octopus Energy Development Partnership, part of Octopus Energy Generation, which has a minority stake in Exagen.
