This new 49MW solar energy plant on more than 170 acres of farm land near Clyst Hydon in East Devon will be capable of delivering clean, locally sourced energy to nearly 15,000 homes or 19,000 electric vehicles. It could prevent more than 21,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere every year.
The proposals comprise development of a solar photovoltaic farm comprising solar arrays, substations, internal tracks, access and associated development. CampbellReith worked with LDA Design, who acted as planning consultants to support the planning application through detailed assessment of the hydrological regime to identify any potential flood risk sources or surface water management issues related to the proposed development site. Our scope of works included an assessment of fluvial and groundwater flooding, development of a Surface Water Management Strategy, ground modelling and appraisal of overland flows to help prepare supporting documentation for the planning application.
The site is large and complex with an Environment Agency main river running through it. Climate change also needed to be accounted for following consultation with the Environment Agency and without the availability of Product 4 information, an engineered approach was taken to review the impact on the development platform, which also incorporated an area of surface water flood plain, to mitigate the risk of surface water flooding on the existing road network.
Planning permission was granted in July 2022.
For more information about this project contact: Pete Tamblin or Tristan Tucker.
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