Image: Lightsource BP

A 17MW solar farm being developed by Lightsource BP has been granted planning permission by Rugby Borough Council.

The solar farm, located at Streetfields Farm in Lutterworth, is set to save 5,869 tonnes of carbon emissions a year.

It has also been designed to act as a haven for local wildlife, with a bespoke Biodiversity Management Plan having been developed in conjunction with the planning application. As much of the site as possible is to be enhanced for local wildlife, ensuring native species benefit from planting, seeding and habitat creation.

The benefits of solar to biodiversity were recently heralded by The Solar Trade Association (STA) in a new report released last month. Due to solar sites being mostly isolated from human impact, the remainder of the ground can be used for plant growth and wildlife enhancement, the STA said.

The site for the farm in Lutterworth was chosen due to it being well-screened by surrounding hedgerows and trees, limiting the visual impact of the site.

A spokesperson for Lightsource BP said: “Community engagement is a very important part of our development process, therefore we are very pleased by this outcome. It is an ideal site for solar and we are now in the process of preparing our construction plan and timeline.”