A PLAN to build a solar farm on 231 acres of land in Cholderton is to be unveiled next week.

Lightsource BP will be outlining its proposal to develop, fund and build a 49.9MW solar farm at Down Barn Farm, Cholderton Estate, at a community information event on Tuesday, October 22.

The information event takes place in Cholderton village hall, and residents are invited to drop in any time between 4.30pm and 7.30pm.

The Lightsource BP team will be on hand to discuss the planning proposal and gather feedback from the local community.

It says the proposed solar farm will provide enough clean renewable energy to power 16,936 homes, saving 21,319 tonnes of carbon emissions every year, the equivalent of taking 4,536 large family cars off the roads.

Conor McGuigan, the director of business development for Europe at Lightsource BP, said: “Solar energy is not only clean and renewable, but it also generates locally-produced electricity. This makes solar an important part of meeting the global rise in energy demand efficiently and more sustainably.

"We want to ensure that local communities in and around the proposed location have all the information they need about this project. We’re holding this information event to speak to elected representatives, local businesses and residents of the local community, and to gather feedback. This event is also a great way for the community to ask any questions they may have about the project or solar energy in general.”

Lightsource BP says the selected fields have been chosen because they are "well-screened by local topography which limits surrounding views of the solar farm".

And that the initial layout for the solar farm "has been designed in such a way that most of the open grassland on the site will be suitable for sheep grazing, allowing the land to retain its current agricultural use".

A "bespoke" biodiversity management plan will also be developed to inform the design of the proposal, and ensure opportunities are identified for enhancing and creating new habitats for local wildlife.

Lightsource BP also said it is "aware" of Scheduled Monuments and non-Scheduled Monuments on and near the proposed boundaries of the site, adding: "With this in mind, Lightsource BP has formally engaged with Historic England to ensure the correct protection measures are incorporated into the design and layout of the solar installation."

For more information about the project email info@lightsourcebp.com, quoting Down Barn Farm.