Arrow Valley Solar

Following a number of solar farm applications in recent years we have recently become aware of a proposed solar farm development in parts of the south and east of the county. This is a very large application covering over 1700 hectares, making it by far the largest solar application we have seen in this area. 

It crosses the county boundary with Warwickshire and spans parts of Wychavon and Redditch districts in Worcestershire. Given its scale, there is a risk that the application could have significant adverse effects on wildlife, including species using our own land and land belonging to partner conservation organisations.

As the application for the development is still at an early stage, we will be carefully reviewing the proposal and considering its potential implications for nature conservation in Worcestershire. Given the proximity of the scheme to some of our existing nature reserves, Local Wildlife Sites and Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), we aim to be actively engaged in the consultation process and we will be seeking direct discussions with the applicants in due course. In the meantime we will also be liaising closely with the councils and partner organisations involved to make sure that we are all aware of the various issues and that wildlife is properly taken into account in the decision-making process. 

We will approach our involvement with a balanced perspective, recognising both the importance of protecting more land for nature and the broader need to support climate action, carbon reduction and the transition to clean energy. It is essential that these elements are taken forward together in a complementary manner and that we avoid a trade-off between a transition to clean energy and a brighter future for wildlife. 

At this stage we are not able to provide further detailed comments or confirm our position on the development. The current round of consultation is attempting to define the requirements of the environmental investigations that will be needed to inform the planning application. We will provide updates on our position as things evolve and we will publish our formal comments on our website once they have been submitted to the relevant authorities. 

As you would expect, our formal comments on the application will be largely limited to ecological considerations. We are keenly aware that impacts on landscape and visual amenity, traffic and transport, noise and construction lighting on local communities may also be significant in this case and our silence on those issues, or other relevant matters, should not be taken to diminish their importance. However, they fall outside our professional remit and it would not be appropriate for us to provide formal comments on those topics. We will instead be recommending that the examining authorities consult specialists in the relevant disciplines for a fully informed view to help with their deliberations.

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