About us

We are proposing to develop a new solar farm and Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), near Bonvilston, The Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales.

Oaklands Solar Farm will have a grid export capacity of circa 50MW of renewable electricity with the Battery Energy Storage System having a capacity to charge, store and export up to 50MVA. The proposal will contribute to tackling the climate emergency, helping move Wales closer to achieving the targets for renewable energy generation set by Welsh Government.

The project will consist of a number of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels mounted on a frame and set out in rows aimed at maximising the opportunity to collect light and generate renewable energy from the sun throughout the year.

In summary the infrastructure proposed includes:

• Photovoltaic (PV) panels
• Battery Energy Storage System
• Mounting frames 
• Scheme of landscaping and biodiversity enhancement
• Inverters and transformers and associated cabling (largely below ground)
• Substation
• Security (deer fencing and motion sensor CCTV)
• Temporary set down areas
• Internal service roads, and
• Use of existing site access for the construction and operational phases.

Oaklands Solar Farm will have a grid connection export capacity of circa 50 Mega Watts (MW) of electricity. This means that it will produce enough renewable electricity each year to power nearly 20,400 homes.

It will offset over 20,200 tonnes of CO2 every year, which is the equivalent of taking approximately 5,000 petrol / diesel cars off the road.

Welsh Government has acknowledged that there is a climate emergency and has committed to decarbonising and tackling the causes of climate change over coming years. Generating renewable energy is a key part of that commitment and Welsh Government has set ambitious targets for the generation of renewable energy, including for 70% of electricity consumption to be generated from renewable energy by 2030.

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 (animals such as sheep can continue to graze the land around the solar panels) for example means that this technology can operate alongside traditional land uses very easily.  

The National Grid experiences a large fluctuation of demand throughout the day and throughout different times of the year. During periods of high demand, the National Grid aim to increase supply to maintain a 20% supply margin which is essential in eliminating, as far as possible, the risk of power shortages and blackouts, when there is an unexpected change in demand, or a sudden loss of supply. Historically, conventional power stations could be operated with some certainty. However, as the UK moves towards a more environmentally sustainable energy supply system, with an increase in renewable energy sources, there is an increased risk of electricity supply fluctuations, depending on prevailing weather conditions, and therefore an increased need for facilities to store energy, in order to try and match the supply to the demand. Such storage facilities include Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS).

BESS do not create carbon emissions or generate electricity but provide a balancing mechanism drawing electricity (charging) when levels of the network are above that of demand. When levels of electricity on the grid are below that of demand the electricity stored in the batteries can be fed back (discharged) onto the network to meet the demand so that there is no loss of power to end users. Smooth grid operation relies on the provision of rapid reactive power services either by generation or dedicated facilities to enable frequency stabilisation. BESS provides sub-second response times, so offer a reliable solution to a number of the Grid’s balancing issues thus supporting the development and deployment of low carbon intermittent energy technologies upon which society must increasingly rely on to satisfy its energy requirements.

As this project will deliver in excess of 10MW of renewable energy it will constitute a Development of National Significance (DNS) under the Planning (Wales) Act 2015 and we must apply to the Planning and Environment Decisions Wales, which is a Government body, who in turn will make a recommendation to Welsh Ministers on whether or not to grant planning permission.

Ultimately, Welsh Ministers will decide whether or not to approve the application, however many other parties will have the opportunity to influence the proposals, including The Vale of Glamorgan Council, as well as technical consultees (such as Natural Resources Wales), local communities and interested parties.

Pre-application consultation

Pre-application consultation has now closed. We have analysed the feedback received and used the information to refine our proposals prior to submitting the application to Planning and Environment Decisions Wales. The pre-application consultation report details the consultation undertaken and how feedback has been taken into account for the project.

Visit the ‘Get in touch’ tab on this website to find out how you can contact us.

We have undertaken an assessment of local sites appropriate for the development of a solar farm, as well as considered the opportunities for alternative renewable energy technologies within this site. We have decided to seek permission to develop a solar and battery energy storage scheme for a number of reasons, including:

A significant portion of this site is allocated under Policy MG30 of the Vale of Glamorgan Local Development Plan as a ‘Search Area for Solar Energy’.

A major factor that now guides solar deployment is the availability and capacity on the local electricity distribution network. This site has a grid connection point and agreement which has been secured with Western Power Distribution.

There are few constraints and the site is suitably distanced from sensitive receptors (such as designated protected sites, heritage assets and local viewpoints).

Full details about how we selected this site are set out in the Environmental Statement (ES) supporting the planning application.

For proposed energy projects such as Oaklands Solar Farm and BESS, the applicant generally needs to undertake an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and produce an Environmental Statement (ES), which will be submitted as part of the application.

The ES is a document which presents the results of a detailed assessment of the potential beneficial or adverse environmental effects and impacts arising from the proposed development of the construction, operation and decommissioning of the project.

Specific measures (mitigation) are then developed to address any potential impacts on the site location and surrounding areas. This will include measures such as removing certain areas from the developable site, minimising vegetation clearance and preserving existing field margins to protect invertebrates, reptiles and foraging birds, and carefully managing water and drainage to maintain the status quo of surrounding water bodies.

Wherever possible, we have identified areas in which we can deliver an improvement, for example through reinstating historic copses, banking, ditches and hedgerows, as well as grassland management and additional planting.

The planning application demonstrates that this project delivers a ‘biodiversity net gain’, meaning that through the delivery of the project and certain works, we will provide an overall improvement to local biodiversity across the site.

We appreciate that for many local residents, what the scheme looks like is a key consideration. To assess the impact of the proposed solar farm on the local area, a Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA) has been carried out as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) which includes a number of photomontages to illustrate what the site would look like following development.

Where required, we have proposed mitigation such as screening, additional planting and enhancement of hedgerows, trees and woodland blocks. This mitigation and planting will be maintained throughout the lifetime of the project.

The construction phase would last approximately 6 months.  The solar farm and battery units will operate for 40 years, after which it would be decommissioned and the land returned to agriculture.

Temporary set down and vehicle parking areas will be provided for the construction phase within the site boundary.

Aside from the direct contribution to addressing the climate emergency through low carbon, renewable energy generation and storage, this project will offer a number of community benefits of various kinds, including the direct benefit of investment in the local area (and supply chain). We are keen to ensure that the sourcing of components, materials, services and supplies originate wherever possible from the local area.

We are also committed to providing direct financial support to the local community in the form of a community fund which could be utilised to support environmental, education or community enhancement projects in the local area. We are interested to hear about any specific suggestions the local community may have that we could deliver through the development of these proposals.

We have submitted a planning application to Planning and Environment Decisions Wales, which was accepted for consideration in June 2023.

Following acceptance, there is a period whilst the application is reviewed and considered from a technical perspective, and then an examination will take place prior to the Planning and Environment Decisions Wales making a recommendation on whether or not to grant permission for the proposals. The final decision then will rest with Welsh Ministers.

Solar farms and BESS are very quiet energy generating facilities. They have very few moving parts and as such require less ongoing maintenance and generate little noise or vibration. During construction, noise from construction vehicles and plant materials would be generated. This noise would vary, however normal daytime operating period and measures to reduce potential noise impacts (such as erection of hoarding and pre-agreed working hours) would be adhered to.

A Construction Traffic Method Statement  provides details of proposed access arrangements, the anticipated programme, construction vehicle numbers and type, construction worker numbers and the proposed construction hours. This will need to be agreed prior to commencement of the construction.

Photo voltaic solar panels are specifically designed to absorb light rather than reflect it. Light reflecting from solar panels results in a loss of energy output. PV modules are dark in colour due to their anti-reflective coatings and are manufactured with low-iron, ultra-clear glass with specialised coatings and textures to enable maximum absorption.

They therefore pose little risk of glint or glare, which is demonstrated through the fact that solar farms have been built in close proximity to airports.