Crealy Great Adventure Park plans to go greener

A planning application for Orchard Solar Park, a 7.5 MW solar development at Shepherd’s Farm, near Clyst St. Mary, has been submitted to East Devon District Council by Wiltshire-based Solstice Renewables.

The solar park is adjacent to Crealy Great Adventure Park and would supply renewable electricity directly to Crealy, enabling the local family visitor attraction to benefit from lower cost electricity and improve its sustainability.

It would generate enough renewable electricity to power approximately 2,250 average households, and save an estimated 3,250 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year.

Chris Down, Managing Director, Crealy Great Adventure Park, said: “Solar power is a perfect match for Crealy because we are busiest in the summer when the solar panels are the most productive. The Solar Park will help reduce our carbon footprint substantially, and families can have even more fun knowing we’re doing our bit for the environment.”

Giovanni Maruca, Director, Solstice Renewables, said: “The land will stay in agricultural use for the 25-year lifetime of the solar park, with sheep grazing in winter and wildflower meadows in summer. We expect considerable improvements to biodiversity over time, and we’re looking forward to continuing to work with local schools to teach them about the benefits of solar parks.”

The proposed site comprises two arable fields, covering 19.36 hectares, with 4.42 hectares set aside for screening and habitat creation. In winter, sheep would graze the land under and around the panels, continuing the agricultural use of the land. In summer the area would become a wildflower meadow and biodiversity haven.

Solstice Renewables aims to go even further in maximising the use of agricultural land by seeking to grow crops - such as soft fruit - in the 4.5m wide rows between panels. It is working in partnership with Royal Agricultural University Cirencester (RAU) to develop this innovative approach.

Other benefits proposed include:
• A community benefit fund of £1,000 per MW installed capacity, rising in line with inflation, for 25 years. This is likely to amount to £7,500 a year, or over £188,000 for the lifetime of the solar farm.
• Additional funding for educational purposes, of £2,000 each per year for local schools to fund field trips to the solar farm and other educational resources. This programme of activity has already begun, with a site visit by Clyst St. Mary primary school to study biodiversity at the site which took place on June 5th.

Giovanni Maruca, added: “We’ll continue to engage with the local community throughout the planning process, by updating local residents, councillors and community groups on our plans and responding to any questions or concerns people may have.”

Full details of the planning application are available on the council’s planning portal via www.EastDevon.gov.uk (reference number14/1379/MFUL).

Members of the public are invited to comment on the plans up to July 11th 2014.