New solar farm approved in village near Peterborough

Plans for a new solar farm in Barnack have been approved.

The Abbots Wood Solar Farm Extension was put forward by Larkfleet Group to provide a new solar field along the A1.

The 32.52-acre site (13.16 hectare) is located to the east of Wittering and close to the village of Barnack.

The site is a large arable field along the A1 Great North Road and by Wittering Ford Road to the north.

Larkfleet applied for a certificate of lawfulness in an attempt to confirm that the planning permission for the new solar farm on the site remained valid after an application- which was approved in January 2016- expired on January 29, 2019.

So far, a transformer has been installed, with the application providing an ordnance survey map to show it was built in May 2018.

The application stated: “The site is low grade agricultural land and can be put to better use.

"The existing site access is suitable to serve the intended use safely and efficiently.

"The site offers the chance to improve the boroughs renewable energy generation.”

The application can be viewed on Peterborough City Council’s planning portal using reference 23/00829/FUL.