We’re delighted to confirm we have secured planning permission for a 41MW solar project in County Durham.
With an installed capacity of 41MW, the West House solar project will produce enough clean energy to power around 20,000 houses. The solar farm is developed in partnership with Aukera and Livos Renewables, with Aukera taking the project forward through construction and into operation. The decision demonstrates that solar schemes like West House represent one of the most deliverable options to help Durham County Council reach their climate change targets. This is also true at a national level where the UK Government recognises solar generation as one of the cheapest and quickest forms of energy generation to deploy at scale.
Ecology & Biodiversity
Locogen always works closely with ecologists & communities to ensure that our developments enhance the local species & habitats. In the case of the West House solar project, our proposals will provide much needed biodiversity improvement to the immediate site with the introduction of 1.5km of new hedgerow planting as well as the creation of a permanent wild flower meadow, all aimed at increasing wildlife diversity.
Tree and hedgerow restoration will increase screening while providing much needed shelter and food resources for local wildlife.
A species-rich grass mix will be sown across the whole site to encourage soil health while the introduction of a wildflower meadow area will provide a vital resource for local pollinators.
Community Support
Early and inclusive community engagement is key to our successful projects and we were delighted that our proposal received 105 letters of support. Indeed our project team was praised by the councillors for work undertaken with the local community,
We believe this, together with careful and sensitive site selection from our development and planning teams were pivotal in securing both Fishburn Parish Council and Durham County Council’s support.
Locogen and our partners will continue to work with the local community over the coming months as it prepares the site for construction in 2024.
Operation & Community Benefits
The project partners will set up a community benefit fund with Fishburn Parish Council where operators Aukera will provide annual funding to support social, educational and environmental projects in the local community. The project will also contribute to the wider Durham economy by payment of standard business rates.
Moving forward, the operation and maintenance of the site will be managed by Aukera, who are committed to natural habitat curation and the long-term generation of clean energy to power our future.