They had the exhibition today showing what the solar farm at Stoneham, proposed by
Vogt Solar, would look like. Here is a (not very good) reproduction of the leaflet showing where it will be sited.
There is a pdf version here (3MB). Apparently one of the key requirements is for such a farm to be sited near a substation which it certainly will be. They suggest it will produce enough power for 4500 homes - thus serving an area a lot bigger than Ringmer.
The only concern I had was the possibility of glare. They say there will be some glare, but it is much reduced because the panels are designed to absorb much of what hits them (kinda makes sense). There are, however, concerns over safety for drivers on the Lewes to Ringmer road, and inconvenience for walkers on the hills. A planner I spoke to said she would be recommending what is called a glint and glare study. There is a report on glint and glare
here from Solar Century (not involved in Stoneham). Road safety concerns can be met with hedging either along the edge of the farm or along the road.
They suggested it will take 12 - 16 weeks to build - probably 12 for one this size, and there will be a certain number of lorry movements during that time.If all went according to plan they could start in about six months time, but, knowing the glacial speed that planning applications normally achieve, I think that is unlikely.
Update 13th May 2013:
Vogt have kindly supplied a copy of the artist's impression of the finished site which was available at the exhibition. My reproduction is not brilliant, for which I apologise, but I think you can get a good idea of what they suggest it will look like. Click on the image to see a bigger version. (The pdf version is 1.6MB, but I can make it available to anyone who wants it.)
Vogt also confirm that they will submit a glare study as part of the planning application.
They also suggest looking at the Solar Trade Association's
page on solar farms for more information.
Update 28th May 2013
We understand that after considering reaction from the public exhibitions, Vogt have decided not to go ahead with the farm in its current form. I have no further details.
