The Benefits
The Benefits
Powering homes with green, renewable electricity
The proposed scheme will deliver significant benefits through the generation of renewable energy for thousands of homes and assist the UK in taking urgent action to address the Climate Emergency.
Tackling the Climate Emergency
We will assist Huntingdonshire District Council in tackling the Climate Emergency by reducing greenhouse gas emissions in line with local, national and international targets to transition to a low carbon future.
Securing local energy supply
The proposals will contribute towards the security of energy supply in the wider area through the provision of significant amounts of local renewable energy.
Improving local biodiversity
The proposed scheme will deliver a biodiversity net gain which will be achieved through a robust biodiversity management plan.
Employing locally
We are committed to using local suppliers during construction and operation wherever possible.
Community
We are open to receiving suggestions as to how our proposals can benefit the local community – if you have specific ideas, or details of community groups or projects we should support, then please provide your suggestions as part of your feedback.
Why Solar?
Solar farms are a simple and established technology providing a source of safe and clean energy which produces zero emissions when in operation. Solar energy projects have a low visual impact potential if designed correctly, have no moving parts, meaning maintenance requirements are low through the lifetime of the project. and are considered ‘temporary’ as they are easily decommissioned at the end of their lifetime. Biodiversity enhancements, and ongoing agricultural use of the land for example means that this technology can operate alongside traditional land uses very easily.
Solar is now of the most cost-effective sources of clean renewable electricity generation in the UK and North Weald Solar Farm will not require Government subsidy. There solar farm will provide a number of benefits including:
Net Zero
Both the UK Government and Huntingdonshire District Council have recognised the Climate Crisis and the urgent need to transition to a low-carbon society, including through the rapid deployment of renewable energy. It is our hope that our proposals will help contribute towards both national and local net zero targets.
The present Energy Crisis and Cost of Living Crisis have demonstrated the critical importance of securing a sustainable and reliable source of domestic energy supply; this will reduce the cost for consumers by decoupling UK energy prices from global markets which are vulnerable to global crisis and will help place the economy on a sustainable pathway to Net Zero.
With the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change recently ruling that the window to constrain global temperature rises to 1.5C of pre-industrial levels is rapidly closing, it is imperative that action is taken to quicken the transition to a low-carbon economy and society.
Crucially, data from Huntingdonshire District Council demonstrates that there is widespread support for taking climate action locally; 73 percent of residents said they support the development of renewable energy, whilst 48 percent ranked climate action as essential and 29 percent ranked it as very important.
Huntingdonshire District Council’s Local Plan, which was adopted in May 2019, explains how the lack of rain and associated cloud cover, and relatively flat landscape, makes the district suitable for solar and wind renewable energy generation, helping to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide produced via energy generation.
Community Investment
We believe that the local community is best placed to say how the community should benefit from schemes such as the proposed North Weald Solar Farm.
Please share your ideas on what community investment you would like to see and email your thoughts to consultation@thirty47.co.uk.