Solar farms in Wiltshire - where are they?

Wiltshire is a good place to build sun farms - relatively good levels of sunshine and plenty of open farmland. Applications for planning permission have been pouring into the Wiltshire Council offices over the last couple of years. Whether or not they continue to do so will depend on the level of government subsidies - the people who got in quick made easy money, but now the feed-in tarriff is less generous and developers are having to think carefully about the viability of installing large-scale solar farms.

Here's a list of schemes in the county of one megawatt or more. Only those in bold have been constructed. Of the others some have planning permission and others are going through the process. As with any development, getting planning doesn't necessarily mean it will be built.

Holt Road Bradford On Avon - 5MW

Bentham Lane Bentham Purton - 8

Manor Farm Wadswick Box - 9.6 (refused because of impact on Cotswolds AONB)

Deptford Farm Wylye - 7.5 (refused because of impact on adjacent AONB)

Lake Farm, Sutton Benger - 5

Upper Marsh Farm, Brokenborough, Malmesbury - 5

Land Adjacent Sewage Treatment Works Slag Lane Westbury - 6.1

Hill Hayes Lane, Hullavington - 7

Braydon Manor Farm - 7

Newton Dairy Farm, Brokenborough, Malmesbury - 7

Land South of 40 Park Lane, Heywood - 3.5

Spittleborough Farm Swindon Road Lydiard Tregoze - 10

Stokes Marsh Farm Coulston - 16.6

High Penn Farm, Calne - 12

Land West Of 198 Norrington Lane Broughton Gifford - 12.3

Land North Of Craysmarsh Farm Bowerhill - 1.8

Land at Rudge Manor Farm Rudge Marlborough - 7

Land North East Of Codford Dairy East Farm - 7.5

Rodbourne Rail Farm, Grange Lane, Corston - 5

Chelworth Industrial Estate, Braydon Lane, Nr Cricklade - 1

Long Newnton Airfield, Brokenborough, Malmesbury - 12

Land at Battens Farm, Allington - 11

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When permission is granted it usually comes with conditions saying the land has to be restored to agriculture, and all the kit removed, after 25 years. However there's nothing to stop landowners or developers applying for an extension to the time period as 2038 approaches.

Having a renewable energy installation nearby could be good for the community - the government is encouraging companies to give some of their profits back by funding local good causes.