Motcombe

Solar Farm

Providing Clean Energy for Dorset

Enviromena has submitted a planning application to Dorset Council for a solar farm located on land near Motcombe Road, Motcombe, Shaftesbury, SP7 9LD.

The planning application has been validated and has been given the following planning reference number: P/FUL/2025/03674. The application can be accessed here.

The proposed solar farm will have a capacity of 12MW. The solar farm will create enough clean, renewable energy to power approximately 6,384 homes per annum. The solar farm would avoid 3,570 tonnes of CO2 annually compared to other non-renewable forms of energy generation, which is the equivalent of taking 4,746 cars off the road each year.

Site Location Plan
Site Layout Plan

Where is the proposed site?

Benefits of Motcombe Solar Farm

  • The solar farm will assist Dorset Council in reducing greenhouse gas emissions in line with national and local targets in response to the Climate Emergency.

  • Careful consideration has been given to the project to avoid effects on any scheduled ancient monuments, ancient hedgerows and woodlands within the Gillingham Royal Forest area.

  • The project will deliver net beneficial gains for biodiversity. Solar farm installations have a small footprint on the land
    they occupy, leaving considerable scope for biodiversity enhancements. Research has shown that responsibly managed solar farms can play an important role in reducing the decline in biodiversity.

  • Existing trees and hedgerows will be retained and protected and supplemented by additional native species planting to support local habitats as part of a wider ecological network.

  • The development of green projects like Motcombe Solar Farm also create business opportunities and economic activity which contribute to the country’s green recovery.

  • We are committed to using local suppliers and contractors during construction and long-term operation of the project, which will benefit the local economy, and provide jobs to people in the local area.

  • The proposal does not require the stopping or diversion of any public rights of way.

  • This is a temporary development, allowing the land to rest for the period of operation up to 40 years. Decommissioning and full restoration of the site at the end of life of the development will be secured via planning condition.

  • The project does not require Government subsidies.

About Us

Enviromena, the developer of this project, is a clean energy solutions company providing safe, affordable, and reliable solutions for growing sustainable power demands. Headquartered in the UK, Enviromena has more than 16 years’ global experience in developing, designing, constructing, managing, and operating ground-breaking renewable energy projects.

Enviromena have installed over 17,000 power systems globally and currently manages, operates, and maintains over 300 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy assets including solar and energy storage projects. Additionally, Enviromena currently has a further 3GW in construction and development across the UK and Italy.

Learn More

Planning Considerations

At the public consultation event, a number of members of the public expressed surprise that a solar farm could be conceived of in a countryside location. Enviromena have had regard to the North Dorset local plan, but members of the public are likely to be less familiar with it. Please find extracts of the North Dorset local plan which outline types of development that may be acceptable in the countryside, one of those types is “renewable energy schemes”.

This does not mean that there is in any way a ‘green light’ for planning permission, our planning application will be tested against the Council local plan policy on renewable energy (amongst others):

FAQ

  • The Climate Emergency, the cost of living crisis and the energy crunch are all linked by how we generate, use and supply energy. We urgently need to generate energy from new, low cost, low carbon sources and solar is the lowest cost and quickest to deploy of all energy sources. It is currently one-ninth the cost of gas and less than one third of the cost of nuclear.

    The proposed solar farm will generate renewable electricity integral to the UK Government’s overarching policy to provide significant reductions in national greenhouse gas emissions and improved energy security.

    The Government’s Energy Security Strategy (2022) proposed a five-fold increase in solar by 2035. Motcombe Solar Farm will assist in helping the UK reach this target and create a greener, cleaner energy future for Dorset. We are committing long-term funding to bring forward renewable energy generation and low carbon programmes which we believe will help deliver a more sustainable future.

  • The solar farm is a temporary development and will not change the land classification. Once the solar farm is no longer in operation it will be decommissioned and the land will return to its previous agricultural usage.

  • The UK Food Security Report (2021) found that “the biggest medium to long term risk to the UK’s domestic production comes from climate change and other environmental pressures like soil degradation, water quality and biodiversity”. Solar farms currently account for 0.08% of total land use in the UK (Solar Energy UK 2022). The Government targets for a fivefold increase in solar would result in 0.3% of the UK land area being used by solar (Carbon Brief, 2022). This is the equivalent to around half of the space used by golf courses.

  • "BNG is an approach to development. It makes sure that habitats for wildlife are left in a measurably better state than they were before the development. In England, BNG is mandatory under Schedule 7A of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as inserted by Schedule 14 of the Environment Act 2021). Developers must deliver a BNG of 10%. This means a development will result in more or better quality natural habitat than there was before development.” (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/understanding-biodiversity-net-gain).

    Is biodiversity in decline? Yes. Dorset Council declared a Climate and Ecological Emergency in 2019, which covers the whole of Dorset, without exception.

    Solar farms regularly generate BNG far in excess of the 10% mandatory requirement.

  • Planning applications are required to include within their red line application boundarie, all land requiring consent for development as defined. We have a point of connection within the site, at the eastern end of the site. Any requirements for onward connections by ‘statutory undertakers’ are covered by permitted development rights and do not need to be included within the planning application.

  • We expect to utilise an existing field access onto Bittles Green. That access has existed for many years and has serviced agricultural vehicles with a clean safety record (https://www.crashmap.co.uk/). Construction traffic will be managed via a construction [traffic] management plan, which Dorset Council should impose via planning condition attached to any planning permission.

  • We think so, but until a planning application is submitted and determined through the planning system then that answer remains open. However, please note that the North Dorset Local Plan clearly says that in principle “the types of development that may be appropriate in the countryside [includes] renewable energy schemes”. The principle of development is established, the planning application will deal site-specific issues such as landscape, ecology, highways etc.

  • The site for Motcombe Solar Farm has been carefully selected as part of a detailed site assessment process. Considerations have been made on all the following, to ensure this site is the most appropriate one for our scheme: grid capacity with onsite point of connection, land availability, heritage assets, flood risk and agricultural land quality.

  • No. Solar panels have no moving parts and emit no sound. Inverters and transformers can emit very low- level sound, but these are sited away from houses and public rights of way and cannot be heard from more than a few metres away.

  • There is no evidence that solar farms have a negative impact on wildlife. In fact, wildlife thrives within the sites when managed sensitively.

    We are committed to significant net biodiversity gain at Motcombe Farm through the creation of new habitats to support local wildlife. Existing hedgerows will be strengthened and new hedgerows will be planted to improve habitat connectivity across the site. We will set aside a significant proportion of the land for habitats to support mammals, birds and invertebrates.

    Further ecological enhancement measures such as bird boxes and bat boxes will be placed within the site to encourage those populations to prosper.

  • "We consider that meeting energy security and climate change goals is urgent and of critical importance to the country, and that these goals can be achieved together with maintaining food security for the UK. We encourage deployment of solar technology that delivers environmental benefits, with consideration for ongoing food production or environmental improvement. The Government will therefore not be making changes to categories of agricultural land in ways that might constrain solar deployment” (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/642708eafbe620000f17daa2/powering-up-britain-energy-security-plan.pdf).

    There is no food security issue in the UK: “Taking a holistic view across the indicators in the index shows a broadly stable picture as the UK comes out of a challenging period of global supply chain shocks. However, this should be seen in the context of longer-term risk from climate change” (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-food-security-index-2024/uk-food-security-index-2024).

    There is however, a climate crisis/emergency (The Climate Emergency - Hansard - UK Parliament & Climate and ecological emergency strategy - Foreword - Dorset Council).

  • The National Planning Policy Framework is perfectly clear that “When determining any planning applications, local planning authorities should ensure that flood risk is not increased elsewhere. Where appropriate, applications should be supported by a site-specific flood-risk assessment” (NPPF paragraph 173). Proposals that fail this requirement may well be refused.

  • No. There is no policy presumption in national or local planning policy that supports this concern.

    There is a presumption in favour of the development of ‘previously developed land’ for housing, but the NPPF definition of brownfield land is clear that this extends to “Land which is or was occupied by a permanent structure”. The Government’s planning practice guidance is clear that “solar farms are normally temporary structures and planning conditions can be used to ensure that the installations are removed when no longer in use and the land is restored to its previous use” thus voiding any route to claim the land is previously developed as a precursor to housing.

Public Consultation

We held a public consultation event on Thursday 22 August 2024 from 2pm to 7pm at Motcombe Village Hall, Motcombe, Shaftesbury, Dorset, SP7 9PE. Please click here to view the boards that were presented at the event.

Following feedback from local residents during the consultation process, Enviromena recognised concerns around construction traffic. We are therefore pleased to have improved our proposals for Motcombe Solar Farm by agreeing on a new access route into the site from the south. This means that construction vehicles will completely avoid travelling through Motcombe village. We hope that this change will go a long way to addressing residents’ concerns with the project, as well as indicating Enviromena’s willingness to engage constructively with the local community.

Site Location Plan showing the new southern access

UK 2025 Solar Roadmap

The UK Government recently released the Solar Roadmap, outlining its strategy to deliver clean energy by 2030. Appendix 2 addresses common misconceptions about solar power in the UK. The following are key frequently asked questions sourced directly from the roadmap.

  • Solar is very effective in the UK as solar panels can operate efficiently even without direct sunlight. Whilst they are most effective on clear, sunny days, recent technological advancements mean they perform well on cloudy days too.

  • Solar is a versatile technology. The costs of solar have plummeted in the past decade, helping it become one of the cheapest technologies for new electricity generation in the UK and globally. In parallel, the efficiency of solar panels and other system components continues to improve. The combination of these factors make solar a great choice for households and businesses looking to reduce their electricity bills.

  • UK businesses and solar developers are expected to do everything in their power to remove any instances of forced labour from their supply chains. Legislation and guidance are already in place to help businesses take action against modern slavery, however, the UK Government are working collaboratively across Whitehall on this important issue to see where we can go further.

    While the supply chains for solar panels are complex and difficult to audit, the UK and European industry have worked together to establish the Solar Stewardship Initiative. Its mission is to work collaboratively with manufacturers, developers, installers and purchasers across the global solar value chain to foster responsible production, sourcing and stewardship of materials.

    The UK Government will assess and monitor closely the effectiveness of the SSI as the scheme is rolled out, alongside other relevant standards, existing measures and other policy tools, and will take further action if necessary.

  • Solar panels can be reused and recycled. The typical lifespan of a new silicon-based solar panel will be around 40 years. Earlier panels are expected to last at least 25 years. This means that some of the first solar systems to be installed in the UK are around halfway through their intended lifespan. There are already organisations in the UK which specialise in solar reuse and recycling, and as the volume of solar panels ready to be recycled increases, more are expected to begin providing such ‘end-of-life’ services. Second-life markets may also develop for older models which still work well.

  • As with all manufactured products, some greenhouse gas emissions, such as carbon dioxide, are emitted during the manufacturing of solar equipment. These include the panels themselves, as well as the cables, mounting systems, and batteries installed alongside them. However, producing energy with solar panels emits no pollution or greenhouse gases.

    We can estimate how long it will take for the clean energy produced by the solar panels and auxiliary equipment to offset the fossil-fuel derived energy used in their manufacturing. This amount of time is called the ‘energy payback time’.

    In the UK, the energy payback time is estimated to be currently around 1.5 years for an unshaded, south-facing roof using typical silicon solar panels produced in China. Solar panels typically come with a 25-30 year power warranty, and can produce power for many years beyond this. This means that over their lifetime, each panel will generate zero-carbon and zero-pollution electricity for more than 20 years after any polluting energy used in its production has been paid back.

  • Solar power plays a significant role in the UK economy. Beyond electricity generation, the deployment of both ground-mount and rooftop solar creates a variety of local job opportunities, spanning installation, maintenance and manufacturing.

  • According to the UK Government's 2025 Solar Roadmap, whilst we are not aware of any specific reports examining the influence of UK solar farms on local property prices, there is no reason to anticipate a negative impact. Once operational, solar farms are well screened, and operate quietly, without emitting odours, pollution or causing traffic disruption.

Contact Us

If you wish to contact us or require further information, please feel free to use the form (situated to the right) or by the following methods:

Email adress: feedback@alpacacommunications.com

Freepost: ALPACA COMMUNICATIONS LTD