PLANS for a solar park near Redwick, which would be classed as a development of national significance, have been revealed.

Rush Wall Solar Park, set up by renewable energy developer BSR Energy, is proposing to submit a planning application for the development on a site close to Redwick and more than one kilometre from the banks of the Severn Estuary.

The site, within one of the Gwent Levels Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), is on farmland made up of fields with a total area of more than 100 hectares.

The application will be determined by the Planning Inspectorate for Wales due to its significance, but the scope of an environmental impact assessment has been lodged with Newport council for consultation.

According to the impact assessment, the site is suited for such a development.

Its advantages include ease of connection to the national grid on site, ideal topography for building, links to major roads and its location near the estuary.

The solar park would have an export capacity of 49.9 MW of renewable electricity.

It would include solar panels mounted to a railing sub structure and about 12 'inverter stations' evenly spread over the site.

Gravel tracks to allow vehicular access between fields would also be included, along with fencing and gates to enclose the panels within each field and allow sheep to graze securely.

CCTV would be mounted on fence posts within each field for security purposes.

Underground cables would need to be installed to connect solar panels to a sub-station, the assessment says.

The cables may need to make use of bridges, culverts or crossings between fields where reens need to be crossed.

A railing sub structure would be piled into the ground, frames attached and then the solar panels would be mounted to the frames.

The area which would be 'disturbed' by trenching for cables is expected to be one per cent of the total site area.

The solar park would have a lifetime of 35 years.

After this time, solar panels and supports would be removed, though underground cabling would be left to avoid ground disturbance.

Tracks and fencing would also be removed, unless the landowner wished for them to be retained.

Operations will remain unchanged at the farmyard and on the farm’s land outside of the land required for the solar park development.

The assessment says there is "potential for significant adverse effect" on the Severn Estuary Special Protected Areas.

However mitigation measures are proposed, along with ecological management and enhancements as part of the development.