An application for a 5MW solar farm to supply green energy to hospitals in Hull and East Riding has been approved by East Riding of Yorkshire Council.
On behalf of Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Pegasus Group secured approval for the construction of a solar farm together with all associated works, equipment and necessary infrastructure on land at Castle Hill, south of Castle Road, Cottingham.
Detailed landscape proposals
Planning permission is for a temporary period of 40 years from the date of first exportation of electricity from the site.
Pegasus Group provided a multi-disciplinary service to the NHS Trust in preparation of the application, including planning, landscape, drainage, highway and heritage work.
Team at Pegasus Group, from left to right: Howard Stannard (Environment), Kathryn Green (Environment), Tom Heaton (Environment), Oly Smith (Highways), Sivani Balachandran (Drainage) Chris Calvert (Planning) and Laura Garcia (Heritage)
Chris Calvert, Executive Director based in Pegasus Group’s Leeds office, said: “The solar farm will supply renewable energy to the Trust’s overall estate, including the Castle Hill Hospital site. It is a key component in enhancing the Trust’s carbon reductions and allows for the trust to make financial savings that can be put back into health care provision.
“The Trust has already invested in initiatives to reduce its carbon footprint and energy usage, including looking to install on roof solar schemes, but this alone is not sufficient to achieve its targets.”
The site is currently in agricultural use and surrounded by other agricultural land, residential and commercial development, playing fields and road infrastructure.
The solar farm will consist of solar PV panels arranged in rows, allowing for boundary landscaping, perimeter fencing and access. Plant and other equipment to support the generation of electricity will be located around the site. Underground cabling will be placed around the site connecting the development to the local electrical grid.
Chris added: “This was an extremely exciting and rewarding project to work on. The solar farm will have an export capacity of 5MW, therefore generating a significant amount of electricity from renewable sources and meaning a substantial reduction in CO2 emissions annually.
“Clearly, the ability for the Trust to generate its own energy will allow funding to be diverted to front line services, rather than paying electricity costs to suppliers.”
It is estimated that there will be up to 30 construction workers on-site during peak times of the construction period, which is expected to be around 6 months. An estimated five additional jobs will be created as spin offs from the scheme.
Pegasus Group are working alongside Boston Renewables, Wold Ecology and LDC Ltd.
For more information about this solar project, or any of Pegasus Group’s services please contact us.