Our Proposal
The proposed main site is located on approximately 95 hectares (235 acres) of land to the east of New Ash Green.
The site is situated at postcode TN15 7EU, OS reference TQ 61564 64680.
There is a further circa 2-hectare (5 acres) site to the west of New Ash Green, which is the proposed location to connect to the national grid. There will be an underground cable connecting the two sites.
The proposed development comprises the construction, operation, maintenance and decommissioning of a renewable energy generating project. The proposed development will include solar PV arrays and on-site battery storage, together with associated infrastructure, an underground cable connection to the grid and a switching station at the point of connection.
Timescales
Evolution Power is planning to submit a planning application before the end of the year, with a decision due in early 2025.
If the project is consented, preliminary construction work would likely begin in the second half of 2025 and the site would be operational during 2026.
Planning process
- Extensive environmental studies, including landscape and visual impact, ecology, archaeology, heritage, flood risk, glint and glare, noise, traffic management and agricultural land classification
- Engagement with Sevenoaks planning department and other statutory consultees
- Public exhibition and community consultation
- Final scheme design, incorporating feedback
- Submission of the planning application
Project Benefits
New Ash Green Solar will have a maximum export capacity of 49.4MW, which will make a significant contribution to renewable power, both on a local and national basis, and help meet the UK’s legally binding emissions targets, whilst also reducing the UK’s exposure to global energy markets and its reliance on imported energy.
The project will provide the following benefits:
- The project will provide enough power for around 17,200 homes and save 11,500 tonnes of CO2 per year
- The project will provide a domestic source of UK power that is not dependent on global gas prices, which should help reduce national power prices
- The project will result in a significant increase in biodiversity for the proposed site area
- The project will provide an inflation-linked community benefit fund for the lifetime of the project to be used locally for social and environmental projects
Existing public access to the land via public rights of way will remain in place, no diversions or extinguishments are required.
The reduction in intensive farming on the site will encourage new flora and fauna to flourish, whilst the land can be grazed by sheep and therefore remain in agricultural use.
Biodiversity
A well-designed solar farm provides many opportunities for local ecological and biodiversity improvement, particularly on land that has previously been intensively farmed. Evolution Power is committed to protecting and enhancing the existing biodiversity of the site.
During the project lifetime the biodiversity will be significantly increased, and soil condition will be improved. A biodiversity enhancement scheme will be prepared to ensure that the project provides a biodiversity net gain.
Existing woods and hedgerows will be protected and enhanced with some historical hedgerows reinstated. We will seek to retain existing habitats and create new habitats to benefit local wildlife.
Why this site?
In this era of a climate emergency there is a pressing need for new renewable energy sources that can reduce the UK’s dependence on fossil fuels. However, solar projects cannot be situated anywhere. There are a number of criteria that need to be met for a site to be appropriate for development.
The New Ash Green Solar site has been carefully selected as it provides the following:
- Access to a nearby grid connection, with the export capacity secured.
- No statutory landscape, ecological designations or cultural designations
- Topography and significant existing hedgerows and woodland that limit visual impact outside the site area. As part of the project, additional hedges will be planted to improve biodiversity and further limit any visual impact.
- Access route for construction traffic to avoid the centre of New Ash Green
- The application site will be subject to a comprehensive agricultural land classification survey and associated testing, which will be carried out by Reading Agricultural Consultants, one of the leading UK organisations in this field. The results of the land testing will be included in the submitted planning application. However, based upon the steepness of the land on the solar site alone, it has been established that a significant portion of the site is not best and most versatile agricultural land.
- High levels of sunlight (irradiation) given its south-east location means that the land required for the same output is less than it would be in other parts of the country (further north).