Homewood Farm Solar Project
Feasibility Study
Bath & West Community Energy (BWCE)
Bath & West Community Energy (BWCE) is carrying out a feasibility study to develop a solar farm in conjunction with Fresford, Hinton Charterhouse and Limpley Stoke parish councils.
BWCE is a successful community-owned business established in 2010 to develop a not-for-profit community energy model. Our renewable energy projects place ownership in the hands of local people and actively benefit local communities in Bath, North East Somerset, parts of Wiltshire and South Gloucestershire. In addition to energy generation BWCE is focused on lowering energy demand and using renewables more efficiently; last year the BWCE Home Energy service launched to support householders in addressing the challenge of retrofitting inefficient and draughty homes.
Key statistics:
- 800kWp solar farm
- The solar farm site is approximately 6 acres
- Solar takes up approximately 2 acres
- The solar farm will take up 0.002% of land in the parish of Hinton Charterhouse
- Cutting emissions by 160 tonnes of CO2 per year – that’s 113 people’s average annual driving emissions
- The solar farm will generate an estimated 842,000kWh of electricity every year
- Ring fenced annual funding benefit to local communities (area to be agreed through consultation)
- Ability to graze sheep on the land
- Estimated increase of Biodiversity Net Gain of 25%.
- The site is Grade 4 Agriculture land *
* Grade 4 land: Land with severe limitations which significantly restrict the range of crops or level of yields. It is mainly suited to grass with occasional arable crops (for example cereals and forage crops) the yields of which are variable. In moist climates, yields of grass may be moderate to high but there may bedifficulties using the land. The grade also includes arable land that is very dry because of drought. source: www.gov.uk
Public information sessions
Drop-in on the dates and times listed below in order to:
- View an exhibition about the project
- Talk to the BWCE team
- Find out about plans for enabling you to buy renewable electricity direct from the solar farm
- Ask questions and give your feedback
Thu 6th Feb, Limpley Stoke Village Hall – Drop-in any time from 4pm to 8pm
Sat 8th Feb, Freshford Village Hall – Drop-in any time from 10am to 1pm
Mon 10th Feb, Hinton Charterhouse Memorial Hall – Drop-in any time from 4pm to 8pm
Consultation survey
A consultation survey will be available following the public information sessions to enable you to give your feedback and ideas about the scheme.

Where is the site?

Proposed layout

The benefits of community solar
Community solar generates clean energy, recycles money back into communities, improves biodiversity, creates
new community amenities and enables local people to take greater control of energy, leading to greater local
energy security.
Community response to climate emergency
A significant increase in renewable energy generation is required to move our society away from a reliance on fossil fuels. Community participation and support is vital as community owned renewables projects in local communities make a significant contribution to our collective response to the climate emergency.
Energy owned and controlled by local people
BWCE offers a different way of doing business. We democratise energy and put local people in control. Local residents can invest and become members. This gives them a vote in the organisation, annual interest payments and opportunities for further involvement (e.g. standing for election to the board).
Retaining money in the local economy
As a successful local community owned business we try to ensure that as much of our revenue as possible is retained in the local economy, in the last year across BWCE’s whole portfolio this equated to approximately £700,000.
Community Benefit funding
BWCE’s surplus income is invested into an independent Community Fund. Residents are encouraged to suggest local community projects this fund could support. (Typically Community Energy projects deliver more than 10 times the community funds proportionately compared to similar commercial schemes).
Environmental benefits
An improvement in biodiversity
The development of a community solar project provides an excellent opportunity to improve conditions for wildlife on the site. We have undertaken ecological surveys and are confident we can develop the site to deliver a significant net gain in biodiversity, far above the minimum required by planning policy, meaning an overall increase in natural habitat and ecological features.
What is Biodiversity Net Gain?
Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) is an approach to development, and/or land management, that aims to leave the natural environment in a measurably better state than it was beforehand.
How is Biodiversity Net Gain measured?
Potential changes to biodiversity value on a site – both positive and negative – can be quantified through the use of the statutory biodiversity metric. This gives an accurate representation of the current state of biodiversity on a site, but it is also used to predict the resulting condition of biodiversity once the development has been completed. Through looking at both the pre-development measurement and the predicted post development measurement, an ecologist then establishes the net gain for a particular site.

Who is involved?
If developed, the solar farm will be owned, managed and maintained by Bath & West Community Energy for and on behalf of the community.
The project is being developed in partnership with:
- Freshford Parish Council
- Hinton Charterhouse Parish Council
- Limpley Stoke Parish Council
With support from:
- Community Energy Fund (CEF)
Any questions about the feasibility study?
Email: [email protected]