Our proposal is for a 49.9MW solar development located on land south of Kibblesworth village, 3km west of Birtley, Gateshead. The site is currently used for arable farming. The proposed development could produce enough energy to power around 15,000 homes1. The site was chosen because it has good solar resource, straightforward access, and has a viable grid connection. If the solar farm is developed, the energy generated will be connected to overhead lines and into the local grid substation, north of the village.
The project is being specifically designed to be dual-purpose, combining continued agricultural use through sheep grazing and renewable electricity generation with solar panels. As the proposal will have an installed generating capacity of less than 100MW, the application will be considered and determined by the local planning authority – which in this case is Gateshead Council.
As part of the planning process, RES will undertake an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). The purpose of the EIA is to investigate and alleviate any potential effects of a development on the natural, physical and human environment. An EIA includes the following assessments:
- Ecology and ornithology
- Acoustics
- Landscape and visual
- Archaeology and cultural heritage
- Flood risk and surface water management
- Glint and glare
- Traffic and transport
The results of these surveys will be included in the Environmental Statement which will form part of any planning application that is submitted.
Solar projects like Coltsdene enable more energy to be generated domestically improving security of supply, and are the cheapest form of new electricity generation2, alongside other renewable technologies wind. This makes developments like Coltsdene not just good for the environment but also for the consumer.
2 https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6556027d046ed400148b99fe/electricity-generation-costs-2023.pdf