Luminous Energy has put forward a proposal for a new solar and energy storage park on the land next to Fitzwalters Farm in Shenfield, which borders the A12.
The site would include enough solar panels to generate more than 72,000 MWh of electricity in the first year – according to the Luminous Energy website – as well as a battery storage facility.
This is the equivalent of powering 24,945 homes in the UK, according to Ofgem.
READ MORE: Brentwood Council to carry out green belt review
The proposal is at pre-application stage, following a public consultation event at the beginning of April.
One resident who received an invitation for this event feared the development would “devastate” the green belt land and the nature that lives there.
They told the Recorder: “Carpeting this prime agricultural land with black glass panels will devastate the open nature of the countryside as well as harm the birds and deer herds that roam freely.”
They also reached out to Brentwood and Ongar MP Alex Burghart, who responded by saying he “firmly supports” the UK’s net zero target, but also “understands concerns about the impact some large-scale solar farms can have on the rural environment”.
In a letter, Mr Burghart said: “With regard to the location of solar farms, it is important that the best and most versatile agricultural land is protected.
“I believe local planning authorities should focus on using previously developed land and non-agricultural land for large-scale solar farm development.”
The Fitzwalters Farm site was selected based on criteria including grid availability, access and agricultural land quality, according to the Luminous Energy website.
The developers claim the solar park will go “some way” in helping Brentwood Council achieve its net zero targets, and have proposed “ecological enhancements” to go alongside the site, such as wildflowers and bird and bat boxes.
Eoin Baker, project developer for Fitzwalters, said: “We appreciate residents’ concerns about proposed developments like Fitzwalters Solar and Energy Storage Park have on an area which is why the public consultation is so important and something as a business we take very seriously.”
He added that the planning application will need to demonstrate “the very special circumstances” as to why the project is located on green belt land, and it will then be up to Brentwood Council to make the decision.
Luminous Energy intends to submit an application in May/June 2025, with construction to start in 2026 if the plans are approved.
