Fleet Solar Farm Project

Project Status

A Planning Application has been submitted to Hart District Council for Fleet Solar Farm - a 47.5 MW (AC) renewable energy project situated on land north of Long Sutton, Hampshire.

Feedback from consultation with the public, local Parish Councils, and statutory consultees have helped to shape the design of the proposal.

Planning application reference will be shared once the application is validated.

About the Project

Fleet Solar Farm is approximately 105 hectares in size, located across several fields of varying agricultural value. The area of the site which includes infrastructure (called ‘the Developable Area’) is 66 hectares. If consented, the project has the potential to provide enough renewable energy to supply approximately 18,600 homes*.

The maximum height of the solar panels will be approximately 2.6 metres from ground level with the site also accommodating transformers and a switchgear unit. To find out more about the technical components of a solar farm, click here.

During operation, it is likely that the site will be grazed by sheep as grassland and wildflower meadow will be planted around and under the solar panels. The existing Public Rights of Way (footpaths) which cross the site would be maintained throughout the operational phase of the solar farm. There will be a minimum buffer of 18 m from the edge of the footpath to the solar panels, often with planting in between.

The proposal will be seeking consent for a period of 40 years, after which the solar farm will be decommissioned with the land returning to the landowner.

Design Process

Landscape Considerations

The site is relatively low lying within the landscape and the solar farm has been sensitively designed to work with the surrounding environment. As part of the proposal, hedgerows will be enhanced throughout the site to improve screening from residential properties, Public Rights of Way (footpaths), local roads, and villages.

Ecological Enhancements

The proposal has been designed with a focus on improving and protecting the local landscape and environment. The Landscape and Ecological Management Plan (LEMP) that accompanies the Planning Application outlines several actions including:

• Enhancing biodiversity by over six times (61% net gain);
• Installing new bat and bird boxes;
• Preserving and safeguarding existing trees and improving current hedgerows;
• Filling gaps within existing hedgerows with suitable native hedgerow species;
• Enhancing field margins through species rich neutral grassland;
• Planting native species grass and meadow mixes around, and under the solar panels; and
• Introducing native species grass and wildflower meadow mixes along field margins and throughout undeveloped fields.

Benefits of Fleet Solar Farm

• Clean electricity that can power approximately 18,600 UK households per year*;
• Savings of approximately 29,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year;
• Biodiversity net gain of 61%;
• Agricultural land use can continue with sheep grazing amongst the solar panels;
• Community Benefit Fund of £19,000 per annum during the 40-year operational lifetime of the solar farm to be set up to support local community projects; and
• Cessation of intensive arable agricultural within the buffers of Ancient Woodland would provide an overall enhancement to a locally significant resource.

Next steps

Following a review of the application and all the accompanying documents, the Hart District Council will undertake further consultation with statutory consultees and non-statutory consultees. Members of the public will also have the opportunity to comment on the proposal directly to the Council.

Local Supplier Opportunities  

A range of services will be required throughout the construction and operational stages of the Fleet Solar Farm project, including material supply, accommodation, retail provision, catering, security, fencing and more. This presents an opportunity for local businesses equipped with the necessary skills and services. If you are interested in working with us on the Fleet Solar Farm, please email to register your interest in joining our Local Suppliers Database**.

Community Benefit Fund 

As a responsible developer, a Community Benefit Fund will be set up to support local community projects if the proposal is consented, and Fleet Solar Farm becomes operational. This flexible funding can be used to address what is important to people in the local area including suggestions put forward during the pre-application consultation.  

A Community Benefit Fund of£19,000 per annum will be offered for the 40-year lifetime of Fleet Solar Farm. Payments will begin once the project is commercially operational.

The Need for Solar Development 

Fleet Solar Farm responds to national and local renewable energy targets aiming to combat climate change. The UK Government has set ambitious targets for renewable energy generation to ensure the country reaches Net Zero emissions by 2050. 

Locally, Hart District Council declared a Climate Emergency in April 2021, and have committed to becoming a carbon neutral authority by 2035 and a carbon neutral district by 2040. Hart District Council’s Planning Policy, in principle, supports the development of the proposed Fleet Solar Farm, providing that any resulting impacts are addressed satisfactorily. The Development Team have sought to address any impacts through sensitive design and mitigation measures informed by survey and assessment work undertaken to date.

About Fleet Solar Ltd. 

Fleet Solar Limited would like to thank those who engaged with us during the planning process and provided feedback to date. Our aim is to continue to engage positively with the local community and stakeholders during the determination process. Should the application be approved, we are committed to being a good neighbour during construction, operation and decommissioning of the development. 

Fleet Solar Limited is a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) wholly owned by BRE/GE Solar Developments Limited which is a company owned by BayWa r.e. UK Limited and Grüne Energien Projekt UG (Haftungsbeschränkt).