Controversial plans have been submitted to build a solar farm the size of nine football pitches on a floodplain in Northampton.

Plans have been submitted by Pegasus Group to build a solar farm on farmland near Welford Road, Kingsthorpe. The proposed site is next to the North West Relief Road (NWRR) and The Windhover pub.

In addition to the solar farm, a second planning application covers land just north of the site. This proposal includes an electric vehicle charging station and roadside facilities, reportedly featuring a McDonald’s and Starbucks.

The whole site covers 6.54 hectares – equivalent to the size of nine football pitches.

Here's what the floodplain just off the Welford Road, next to The Windhover Pub, looked like in the aftermath of heavy rain from Storm Bert. Credit: Russell Tebbutt

placeholder image — Here's what the floodplain just off the Welford Road, next to The Windhover Pub, looked like in the aftermath of heavy rain from Storm Bert. Credit: Russell Tebbutt

If approved, the solar farm would generate up to five megawatts (MW) of electricity using ground-mounted solar panels, according to plans. The developers say it will help ‘reduce carbon emissions, combat climate change, and improve local energy security’.

The applicant says the nearby construction of the NWRR is key to their plans, as it changes the landscape and provides grid access for the solar farm.

The solar farm would be a temporary development lasting 40 years, according to plans. After that, the land can return to full agricultural use with ‘minimal disruption’, according to the developers.

Some residents have criticised the plans due to the site being on a floodplain. Addressing these concerns, the applicant said: “Although the site is located within a flood zone, the PV arrays on the solar panels and the on-site transformer will be located above ground level and above predicted water levels, meaning there will be no displacement of fluvial or pluvial floodwaters, and the development could continue to operate under extreme rainfall events."

Here's a sketch of how the site would be laid out.

They added: "Notwithstanding, the site’s location, with access to national grid connection, makes this a desirable and highly sought-after location for a solar farm.”

They also recommend signing up for flood alerts, saying: “It is understood that in the event of a flood or when an Environment Agency flood warning is issued, the site will not have any maintenance undertaken, and no one will visit the development site. If anyone is on the site when a flood alert is issued, they should leave immediately.”

The panels will sit on sloped frames so rainwater will naturally run off and soak into the ground underneath, the developer added.

The developer also referenced West Northamptonshire Council’s commitment to reducing its emissions to net zero by 2030 and achieving net zero across the area by 2045.

A decision is set to be made on April 8.