COUNCILLORS have unanimously approved plans for a solar farm in Torfaen which could power up to 1,000 homes.
The planned development at the former Ty Coch rubbish tip in Cwmbran is hoped to increase the council’s renewable energy sources to help meet Welsh Government targets.
It will generate around 3MW (megawatts) of renewable energy per year, while off-setting 935 tonnes of carbon dioxide.
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Under the plans, 10,488 solar panels will be installed, arranged in rows 3.82m wide by up to 40m long and 3.7m apart.
The proposals also include 16 inverter cabinets, a power transformer station and a substation.
Security measures including a 2.5m high fence and 16 CCTV poles around the perimeter of the site are also included.
A separate application is planned to be submitted to divert a footpath which crosses the site.
The meeting heard an objection has been lodged by a canal group which says the diversion could hinder their plans to build a marina in the area.
However planning officer Sarah Hensby said if plans for the marina are brought forward, the footpath could be diverted again.
Cllr Huw Bevan questioned the height of the proposed 2.5-metre-high security fence, but planning officers provided assurance it would be coloured green and would fit in with surroundings.
Questions over whether the scheme would bring “financial benefits” were also raised, but the committee was told that this was not a planning matter.
It was previously reported the solar farm would cost £2.7 million to build, with Torfaen council, the applicant, expecting returns of £1.8 million during its 35-year lifespan, after which it would be dismantled and removed.
Cllr Ron Burnett was among those to back the scheme, saying it would help the authority to reduce its carbon footprint.
The site is allocated as employment land in the council’s Local Development Plan, but attempts to lure businesses to the site have proved fruitless, with three separate suitors ruling out relocating to the area.
A planning report says the contaminated ground left over from the site’s previous use would make it difficult to construct new buildings.
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