Plans unveiled for solar farm near Birmingham Airport

National World - LocalTV

Plans have been revealed for a massive solar farm just south of Birmingham Airport. French energy giant TotalEnergies says it could power 14,000 homes a year—and is in talks to supply the airport directly. But questions remain around land use, planning, and transparency. Public consultation is open until 7 July.

Transcript

00:00Just south of Birmingham Airport, plans are in motion for one of the largest solar farms

00:05in the West Midlands. The Castle Hill site proposed by energy giant Total Energies would

00:11span nearly 50 MW, enough to power around 14,000 homes. A 5 MW battery system is included,

00:18though how it will be used remains unclear. It's part of a wider push to green the grid.

00:24Torques are underway to let the airport buy electricity directly from the site,

00:28cutting its carbon footprint and dependence on national supply. The airport already gets about

00:34a fifth of its solar power from on-site solar. Developers say the project won't just produce

00:40energy, it'll also restore local ecology. New hedgerows, wildlife corridors and long-term

00:46land management plans are part of the proposal. They've promised the land will be returned to

00:51its original state after 40 years. But that's a long time and not everyone's convinced. Four decades

00:59of solar panels is a big commitment for any community, especially when there's uncertainty

01:05about how the energy will actually be used. The consultation is now open with residents given

01:12until early July to weigh in. There's also an in-person event in Solihull. Planning authorities

01:18will then decide whether to green light the scheme. Across the UK, solar farms near airports are

01:24becoming more common, but each one raises the same questions. Who benefits? Who decides? And

01:31what's left behind when the panels come down? If approved, this project could reshape how the region

01:38produces its energy, but for now the power lies not in the panels, but in public scrutiny.

Category

Transcript

Recommended