Tadley Town Council flags up concerns over plan to install solar power cable in allotments

A town council has raised concerns over plans to install an underground cable in allotments.

It would connect a solar farm being built in Tadley Hill to a community allotment in Rowan Road run by Green Health Tadley.

The project aims to link up those facing isolation, loneliness and poor health, and is a partnership between churches, schools and community groups.

It is envisaged the solar system would support the group’s running costs, while showcasing the impact of renewable energy.

Green Health has an area of around the size of six allotment plots off Rowan Road, and the solar system is intended for power lighting, polytunnels, temperature management, and a kitchen.

Stantec, acting on behalf of Anesco, has applied to Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council for permission to carry out the works that would connect the 15 large scale solar panels with the allotment. These panels are more than 1.5m wide each, with the cable running through land currently used as parking space by a community group.

The cable would run across a 36.6 sq m plot, and is expected to take up to a fortnight to install.

But Tadley Town Council says there are errors in the application.

Following a meeting of its planning committee on August 27, town clerk Nicki Barry wrote to the borough council to lodge its views.

“The application form states the applicant owns the land, this is untrue, the land is owned by the Allotments for the Labouring Poor Charity, who have received no communication regarding this,” the comments note.

“The planning statement states that the land is used for additional parking for the social enterprise.

“This is incorrect as the land is used by all the plot holders, some of whom are already disappointed that part of the parking area has been occupied by the solar panels.”

The application was submitted to Basingstoke and Borough Deane Council on Thursday, August 8.

Permission for the 15 solar panels was submitted to the same council in September 2022, and was granted in January last year.

At the time, Tadley Town Council ‘positively welcomed’ this proposal.

The cable was not part of the plan, hence the need for new permission.

A spokesperson for Anesco praised the work of Green Health, and said the solar project would help them.

“Green Health Tadley is a fantastic project that supports the local community, both socially, but also in benefitting from the mental and physical health of gardening,” it said.

“Recognising its valuable impact, Anesco has joined forces with some trusted partners to provide the project with the free supply and installation of solar panels and a battery unit.

“The power generated by the solar panels will be used on site, including for a large polytunnel, providing a vital, long-term sustainable source of power and helping future-proof against rising costs.

“The project underpins Anesco’s commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).”

It added: “Having already secured planning approval for the solar and battery, the recently submitted application regards a small underground cable, which will feed the energy from the solar panels to the polytunnel.

“It will be on the boundary of the car park, next to the fence, having no effect on where users of the allotment can park.

“We will continue to liaise closely with the landowners, trustees and other stakeholders at every stage.”

The application can be seen by logging on to https://planning.basingstoke.gov.uk and searching for 24/01828/FULFormer Allotments, Rowan Road.