Leeds solar farm plans submitted

A proposed solar park to the south east of Leeds with the potential to power about 12,000 homes has moved forward with the submission of a planning application.Renewable energy company Banks Renewables has submitted a planning application to Leeds City Council for the new Barnsdale solar energy park.The proposed facility would be able to generate enough energy to meet the annual requirements of up to 12,000 family homes and would displace more than 9,400 tonnes of carbon dioxide from the electricity supply network each year.The scheme would include solar panels covering an area of about 124-acres of south-facing land between Kippax and Allerton Bywater, close to the Hook Moor wind farm which Banks Renewables owns and operates.It would also link directly into the Ledston Primary electricity sub-station which is situated along Barnsdale Road.More than £800,000 of the revenues generated by the scheme would be directed into a benefits fund that would provide funding for local charities, community groups and good causes over the lifetime of the project.