Plans have been unveiled for a massive £300 million solar farm and battery storage facility north west of Weymouth.

Developers claim not only will the scheme help Dorset meet national targets for both energy supply and low carbon energy development, but are confident the project will deliver major economic benefits too.

Chickerell Solar and Storage is a project by Statera Energy which has organised public events so people can see its plans and provide feedback ahead of it submitting a planning application.

It has already distributed thousands of information cards to households in the area announcing its plans. A website has also been created providing some more information.

It is estimated the project will cost between £200m and £300m.

The large-scale photovoltaic solar development, which could generate up to 300MW of renewable electricity, is proposed for arable and pasture fields covering 1,300 acres (including land for landscape and biodiversity) between Buckland Ripers and Friar Waddon, below. This is the equivalent of more than 950 average-size football pitches.

Dorset Echo:

Meanwhile, a 57-acre battery energy storage system (BESS), with up to 400MW of battery storage capacity, is proposed for a separate site north of the Chickerell sub-station behind the football club.

Battery facilities are used to store energy for the National Grid – saving energy when demand is low and releasing it back to the grid when demand increases. They are seen as a good way of storing energy from wind and solar farms which are not always able to generate power when most needed.

Statera spokesperson Rebecca Kaye said: “We are hoping to submit the development consent order for the solar development in 2023. We expect a decision by 2025 with works starting (if the scheme is approved) in 2027 and the solar park to be live by the end of 2027.”

Residents have already raised concerns.

Robert Gutteridge, a farmer and resident of Buckland Ripers, said: “They shouldn’t be taking valuable agricultural ground out, if anything we should be encouraged to be farming more land.

“There are better places with poorer farmland to put solar panels on.”

Mike Pearce of Chickerell said: “All the villages in that area will be affected because it’s a beautiful part of the countryside.

“I wouldn’t like to have thousands of these solar panels outside of my house."

Statera suggests this part of Dorset is the optimum location for a large-scale solar project.

Rebecca Kaye said: “The existing National Grid sub-station in Chickerell provides a rare opportunity to make a substantial connection to the transmission network.

“We think this project represents an opportunity to make a real difference in the UK transition to net zero.

“The project could supply up to a total of 838 GWh clean energy every year.”

She added: “The project would be a substantial investment in the local area. We expect there would be an opportunity for local employment through local suppliers and businesses during construction."

Statera said it understands that with projects of this scale, there is always likely to be some opposition.

Rebecca Kaye said: “We all have to try and balance the need for change and protecting our existing landscapes."

She said the firm believes the scheme can deliver a biodiversity net gain for land otherwise intensely farmed.

*Public information events will be held at Willowbed Hall, Chickerell on Tuesday, November 22 between 6pm-8pm and Portesham Village Hall on Wednesday, November 23 between 1pm-7.30pm.

A website for the scheme is at www.chickerellsolarandstorage.co.uk