Plans for new solar farm to be built on land south of Horsham

A company known as Low Carbon UK Solar Investment is seeking planning permission from Horsham District Council for the solar farm and ‘associated infrastructure’ on land either side of the A272 and west of Cowfold off Burnthouse Lane.

Nearby residents have raised a number of objections to what is being called Cobwood Solar Farm but Low Carbon UK says it has amended its plans to address people’s concerns.

If it goes ahead, it is estimated that the farm would generate around 49.9 MW, enough to power approximately 16,581 homes annually. It is intended that the farm would be in use for 40 years.

Agents for Low Carbon UK, in a statement to the council say: “The principle of renewable energy, specifically solar power, is strongly supported by local and national planning policy. It is also notable that the UK Government has committed to meeting a legally binding target of ’Net Zero’ carbon emissions by 2050, which requires significant investment in the development of renewable energy infrastructure locally and throughout the UK.

"Horsham District Council declared a climate and ecological emergency for the Horsham district in June 2023. There is an urgent need for the deployment of low-cost renewable energy generation in the UK in order to tackle climate change, improve the UK’s security of energy supply and shield the consumer from volatile gas prices, all of which is enshrined within national energy and climate change policy.

"Solar generation is already a leading low-cost generation technology and is therefore a critical element of the plan to decarbonise the UK electricity sector.”

The site consists of a number of agricultural fields in addition to an electrical cable route corridor to a ‘point of connection’ to the electricity grid network which is via an overhead line to the east of Stonehouse Lane.

The site is split between three main parcels of land: the ‘northern parcel’ is located north of the A272 between Burnthouse Lane and Maplehurst Road, the ‘western parcel’ is to the west of Littleworth Lane and south of Cowfold Road and the ‘southern parcel’ lies to the south of the A272 and between Littleworth Lane and Stonehouse Lane.

Among concerns raised by nearby residents were over biodiversity, the visual impact of the farm on the area, noise and light pollution and an increase in traffic.

But Low Carbon UK says it will provide additional screening in the area and that a number of public footpaths that run through the site will be kept open during construction and operation of the solar farm. It says the site would be retained in agricultural use and sheep grazing could take place.

Have you read? Horsham pensioner left ‘trapped’ in her home after breaking ankle in fall

Police face public backlash after halting planned Horsham ‘car meet’

One objector, in a letter to the council said: “Burnt House lane, Park Lane and Maplehurst Road are narrow, single track highways. Any extra traffic of industrial size would be completely unsuitable and do enormous damage to these lanes which are already narrow and not in the best of repair."

They added: “The ancient woodlands and wildlife habit that would be lost is of great importance as this area is already losing so much with the huge increase in house building here for which the infrastructure is woefully inadequate.”