A PROPOSED solar farm at Crick, near Caldicot, would produce enough electricity to power 4,536 homes.

Monmouthshire council has lodged an application with its own planning officers to create a 22,660 solar panel farm on land at Oakgrove Farm.

The scheme would cover five fields of land (39 acres) used for grazing and is situated between the A48 and the B4245.

Each panel would be mounted on a simple metal framework and measure 983 milimetres by 1,639 milimetres over 44 rows. The total height would be not higher than one metre above ground level.

The scheme would provide 5.67 megawatts of energy which would be directed to a National Grid connection outside the site’s boundary.

The plans include substations but the conditions of location and size will be dealt with if planning permission is granted.

It will be screened from view with reinforced hedgerows and narrow tree belts and surrounded by two-and-a-half-metre high deer fencing to keep the site secure as well as CCTV monitoring equipment.

The nearest resident to the proposed site is 200 metres away and there is also a part council-owned tenanted farm with association buildings to the east of Oak Grove Farm. The applicant’s agent Asbri Planning Limited said that the scheme would be screened to prevent any overlooking onto the site.

Any vehicles transporting equipment and panels would use the existing access serving Oak Grove Farm to the north-east of the site from the A48.

Asbri Planning Ltd said the proposed application would not have an adverse impact on the landscape, biodiversity or increase noise, dust or odour. It adds that it would “fundamentally underpin” the region’s ability to conserve natural resources, minimise carbon generation and help deliver zero carbon standards by providing a regionally significant level of renewable energy.

Four solar farms have been approved in Monmouthshire since 2010. Three are near Usk on land at Llancayo Farm, at Lower House Farm, Kemys Commander and at Buckwell Farm, Pen Y Cae Mawr.

The most recent approved application was at Llanvapley, on the outskirts of Abergavenny.