This is Kent --AN ENERGY company hopes to build a 93-acre solar park on land in West Kingsdown.
The site between Crowhurst Lane and Fawkham Road has been earmarked for the project which is in the early stages of negotiation.
Hive Energy, a solar park developer, has sent a screening letter to Sevenoaks District Council asking for its view on the plan.
No formal planning application has been made yet, but the company hopes to agree terms with the landowner and canvass opinion from local people.
Tim Purbrick, commercial director of Hive Energy, said: "The project is at the very early stages and if it goes ahead we will be available to members of the public to answer their questions.
"But a process like this goes through peaks and troughs as we try to lift them off the ground. With something as complex as a solar park people get on and off the bus.
"Before we can be absolutely clear that it can work there is a lot of work to be done."
The park could produce 16 megawatts of electricity a year – enough to power 6,500 homes – and reduce CO2 emissions by 7,740 tonnes a year.
Ground-mounted solar panels would be installed, and the electricity produced sold back to the National Grid.
The site can accommodate 4,000 solar panels which would be screened by 3m high hedgerows.
Mr Purbrick said: "A number of houses border the site and so does the Brands Hatch branch of Battersea Dogs and Cats Home. But we try to find sites which have minimal visual impact on the community.
"As part of that we install hedging around the park. At the moment the site is scrubby so we would hope to improve biodiversity with those hedges."
So far opinion appears to be divided among those living near the proposed site.
West Kingsdown resident Iris Nugent, 74, of Hever Avenue, said: "It can't be any worse than having polytunnels over 93 acres.
"It's the thing of the future. Personally I would not have any objection to a solar park. I would sooner use energy from this source than nuclear or fossil fuels."
But Chee Wong, 37, owner manager of Kings Garden Chinese takeaway in Hever Road, said: "I'm not sure the English climate would be good enough for a solar park to be viable but I suppose someone must have done their sums.
"I'm guessing it would take a lot of solar panels and that would affect the scenery considerably. I'm not sure if that would be a good thing – it could be a real blot on the landscape."
Under the Renewables Obligation brought in by the Government in 2002, electricity suppliers in the UK are encouraged to find power from greener sources.
Mr Purbrick said: "We are importing vast quantities of energy from overseas. We are stony broke as a country so if we can harvest our own energy it would give us more stability for the future." Reported by This is 2 days ago.