High Garrett: Kentishes Solar Farm bids to extend its site

Kentishes Solar Farm, which is located on land between Braintree, Stisted, and High Garrett, has applied to Braintree Council for a screening opinion request as it looks to extend its farm and battery storage site.

The renewable-energy farm is operated by company Push Power and already has 17 hectares of land, more than 30 football pitches, using solar panels to generate 12.67mw.

Push Power is hoping to extend the farm onto a further 33 hectares of land and a 27mw output, bringing the farm’s total output to 49.67mw, which could power thousands of homes.

The site would be accessed via Kentish Farm Road.

Energy - an illustrative image of solar pannels (Image: Pixabay)

Braintree Council provided a screening, but a second is needed by the Local Planning Authority in regard to the requirement for an Environmental Impact Assessment to be undertaken regarding the plans.

Braintree Council’s screening opinion letter outlines the extended site’s solar panels “would extend onto land currently in agriculture use on most sides, except to the south-east” of the site.

As a “consequence” of this plan moving forward, the panels would “enclose a belt of ancient woodland to the north and west” of the site.

One resident was unhappy about the proposals.

They said: “It’s a horrendous waste of good agricultural land if the National Grid can’t take any more of these solar farms, I still think it shouldn’t happen.

“I think it’s a crying shame, I don’t agree with it.”

Energy farm - solar pannels (Image: Pixabay)

If the plan does go ahead, there will need to be housing for substations, inverters, and transformers set up, security cameras will need to be installed, and access tracks to the site added.

Fencing would also be set up to stop deer from wandering into the area.

Kentishes Farm will still need a second opinion on its prospect to expand before it can move forward with it.

Push Power was contacted for comment but did not hear back after multiple attempts.