DEVELOPERS of a solar farm

proposed for the village of Mathern, met with residents to tackle concerns last Thursday (23rd April).

Those with questions about the 25 acre site, located at Coombe Farm, north of the A48 in Mathern, met with representatives of fraone ltd business development in Mathern Village Hall.

The site, pictured as a digital mock-up, could house 20,000 solar panels if it is granted planning permission in the coming months.

The proposal joins several others in the area, as the county aims to meet countrywide targets for renewable energy provision.

If approved, this site in Mathern would produce five megawatts (MW), of electricity, enough to power 2,000 homes.

Residents attending the consultation on the whole seemed positive about the build. Concerns were raised about the location, and the size of the build, but developers reassured those present with claims that the site would be of little impact to the area as possible, flanked as it is by trees, and the main road.

They said: "Our preference for any development is to use brownfield sites and rooftop installations. The problem is that the UK has very few opportunities left for these type of developments. Solar farms on greenfield sites provide the majority of our solar generation in the UK and without them we would be even further behind reaching our targets for 2020. We believe that this site is well screened from most directions, and for areas that will be visible, we will do our utmost to reduce visibility through landscaping and screening measures."

Developers also claim to be considering a 'community benefits package' for the people of the surrounding areas.

Two sites at the farm have been earmarked for the solar panels, with a move across the farm to the west suggested following a meeting with Mathern Community Council. The farm was chosen as a potential site due to its close proximately to where the electricity could be fed directly into the National Grid.

Developers are now seeking a meeting with Monmouthshire County Council, before aiming to lodge a planning application in four to six weeks.