Solar farm set for green light

Plans to build a solar farm, with the potential to generate enough energy to power about 400 homes, on a site in Carmarthenshire are set to be given the green light.Power for Wales Inc, via agent WYG, has lodged an application to develop a parcel of land to the north of Pontardulais Road (A483), on the western outskirts of the village of Tycroes.It is applying for permission to install 8,728 photo-voltaic solar panels which would generate about 2.5 megawatts (MW) of electricity at peak times, enough to power about 400 homes. The farm will be secured with fencing and CCTV cameras.Originally, the application proposed the installation of 15,142 panels, however the number was reduced on the southern part of the site to provide sufficient separating distance to existing properties along the A483.The site will be used as a solar farm for a period of 21 years following which the installation will be decommissioned and the land returned to agricultural use.The application will be discussed at a meeting of Carmarthenshire County Council’s planning committee on 20 December 2016 and is recommended for approval.The report prepared ahead of the meeting said the scheme would provide “a reliable energy source that will make a positive contribution to the energy targets of the Welsh Government and those of the UK as a whole.Despite the recommendation, 16 objections have been received from residents, with concerns including the visual impact of the scheme and effect on nearby properties.