Image: Bentley Motors.
Bentley Motors has been given the green light to construct a 3MW solar carport at its manufacturing facility in Cheshire, which would become the UK’s largest when finished.
Earlier this month Solar Power Portal reported on the proposals which would see nearly 11,300 modules make up a carport system that would shelter roughly 2,000 car parking spaces at the facility in Crewe.
Having received no objections to the plans, Cheshire East Council approved the decision at a planning committee meeting held on Wednesday last week.
A decision notice issued by the council granted planning permission subject to a number of conditions, including that the development starts within three years; that all materials used are in “strict accordance” with those specified in the planning application to ensure its visual amenity, and that a construction management plan is submitted and approved by the local planning authority.
The plans had been drawn up by both Solarcentury and Future Earth Energy, the latter of which also worked alongside solar developer Lightsource on the plant’s 5MW rooftop install, which was completed in March 2013 by Solarcentury.
When complete, the system could supply more than 20% of the manufacturing facility’s peak demand, taking the total percentage of peak demand that Bentley derives from solar installations at the site to nearly two-thirds.
Bentley Motors did not wish to comment on the planning approval.