Project Updates

Introduction

Our planning application was submitted to Wiltshire Council on 4 July 2025 to seek approval for Flaxlands Solar Farm. The application went live on Wiltshire Council’s website 22 July and is available to view here.

Feedback from Public Consultation

Our consultation ran from Tuesday 5 November 2024 and closed on Tuesday 3 December 2024, and we were pleased to talk with over 60 members of the local community who attended our event at Hook, Greatfield and Greenhill Village Hall on 19 November. This provided our team at Ampyr with the opportunity to listen to and understand the local community’s views about the proposal.

Following the consultation, we reviewed all the feedback, which alongside surveys and technical work was used to inform the scheme’s final design. A summary of the most common topics raised in feedback and our response to them are set out below.

Landscape and Views

Comments were received regarding how the landscape and visual impacts of the scheme would be mitigated, with concerns raised regarding the effectiveness of screening, glare impacts, and potential loss of the natural beauty of the site.

Since the consultation we have updated our proposals, this included removing areas of solar panels in the southwestern and southern sections of the Site to move solar panels further away from residential receptors and to take more advantage of screening provided by existing vegetation.

Wildlife and Habitats

A number of comments were received which raised concern about how wildlife would be protected and how the composition and biodiversity of some natural areas might be damaged. Conclusions from the Ecological Impact Assessment (EcIA) suggest that most ecological receptors will only be affected by minor-adverse impacts, with small impacts on several receptors such as bats.

In response to concerns, there have been revisions to perimeter fence lines to avoid impacts to trees and hedgerows as well as a reduction in number of fields with solar panels to avoid impact to lowland meadow Priority Habitat. There has also been a revision to the red line boundary to align with these changes.

Where impacts to hedgerows are unavoidable existing areas of hedgerow will be coppiced rather than removed. Where this is not practicable hedgerow will be translocated temporarily and replanted after construction, supported by new infill hedge planting of locally sourced native species and wildflower planting. The development is also predicted to achieve the following biodiversity net gain in each area:

Area habitats: +14.13%
Hedgerow habitats: +24.88%
Watercourse habitats: +82.98%

Alternative Sites and Size

Comments were received expressing concern for the scale of the proposed site, alongside suggestions for alternative proposals and sites, which included suggestions that brownfield land should be used and that panels should be placed on rooftops of warehouses instead.

We have carried out a detailed four stage site selection process, and considered the alternative suggestions provided during the consultation, however, our chosen site is the only one in the vicinity to meet the requirements for a solar farm at the scale required to be viable. Regarding fitting panels to nearby buildings and warehouses – this would likely not produce the same amount of electricity as our proposals, due to the inefficiencies and difficulty to link together a network of small generators. Although the site is located on the greenbelt, we believe it is still appropriate for development, as it meets the criteria for the ‘very special circumstances’ that the government has set out for development on the greenbelt, which includes the wider environmental benefits associated with increased production of energy from renewable sources.

Traffic Management

Feedback received also indicated concerns towards traffic management, particularly to do with construction traffic during the building phase and the route it would take as well as the suitability of certain lanes and routes to the site.

Since the consultation we have made revisions to the width of access roads within the site to reduce impacts from construction traffic. While there is likely to be more traffic due to materials being delivered to the Site, when operational, access to the Site will be minimal for periodic maintenance and inspection purposes.

Community Benefit

We received many helpful suggestions of how we can positively impact and contribute to the local community such as a Community Electricity Cooperative, traffic calming measures, sustainable education initiatives, and PRoW improvements. We will be setting up a Community Benefit Fund, and these suggestions will be considered further should the scheme receive planning permission.

Environment/ landscaping

The red line boundary has been changed to allow for additional off-site planting, and to ensure that the hedges that are to be enhanced as part of the scheme’s landscaping are included within it.
The proposed gate (for operational access) at Common Croft Lane has been removed to protect hedges and trees.
Fence lines, internal access tracks and solar panels have been moved where necessary to protect trees and avoid root protection areas, including trees with bat roost potential and existing conifer woodland.

The site boundary at the western side of the northern field has been adjusted to follow the line of an historic hedgerow identified in aerial imagery from 1958. This will allow for restoration of this historic hedge.
Fence lines and internal access tracks have been moved, and some solar panels removed, following site-specific flood modelling, to avoid any development within high flood risk areas
The underground cable route running north between the two sites has been moved closer to Lords Lane, to better protect hedges and trees during construction.
The underground cable route between the solar farm and Main Street, Nether Poppleton, has been moved away from existing trees to protect them and avoid root protection areas.
To compensate for losses as a result of changes to panel layout elsewhere in the design, such as to landscape buffers, approximately 170m of hedge that was previously intended to be kept will be removed in the northern field. However, approximately 520m of new hedge will be planted in replacement of this, including an additional 140m of hedge parallel to Lords Lane that was not in the previous design, and 330m directly to the northwest (the line of the historic hedge).

Design Updates

Following the public consultation and feedback received, we have made the following changes to our proposals:

Revision to the BESS and substation layout;
Revisions to the width of access roads within the Site;
Revisions to perimeter fence lines to avoid impacts to trees and hedgerows;
Reduction in number of fields with solar panels to avoid impact to lowland meadow Priority Habitat and to align design with landowner agreements; and
Revision to the red line boundary to align with the above changes.

Next Steps

Wiltshire Council are currently hosting its statutory consultation, where you can comment further on the proposals directly to the council. The council will then consider any feedback received alongside the planning application to determine whether to approve or refuse it. This consultation is running until 21 August 2025.