Hedgehog Grove Solar Farm: Benefits

Why do we need solar?

Solar power forms a critical part of the UK’s strategy to achieve net zero by 2050 and to deliver energy security. As set out in its Clean Power 2030 Action Plan, the Government has ambitions for 45-47 GW of domestic solar production by 2030. Ground-mounted solar projects play a key role in achieving these aims, having been established as a critical national priority due to the energy security, decarbonisation and affordability benefits that they deliver.

Solar provides a low-carbon, renewable energy source that is cheaper and faster to deploy than alternatives. Solar is one- ninth the cost of gas and less than one-third of nuclear energy, making it essential for reducing emissions and providing affordable energy.

Solar farms currently account for around 0.1% of the total land area of the UK. The Government targets for a fivefold increase in solar would result in 0.3% of the UK land area being used by solar (Carbon Brief, 2022). This is the equivalent to around half of the space currently used by golf courses.

Solar power is already making a significant impact. Between June and August 2024, it provided up to 8% of the UK’s electricity, according to the Government’s Energy Trends renewables tables (ODS)**.

*Presuming a 15% capacity/load factor across a single year based upon average domestic electricity consumption per home

(temperature corrected) as per Energy Consumption in the UK (published September 2024, Table C9 of ECUK: Consumption data tables).

**Energy Trends December 2024, Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/energy-trends-section-6-renewa…)
 

The need for solar

Community benefits

Community benefit fund

Hedgehog Grove is pleased to announce a commitment to a community benefit fund of £70,000 per year for the duration of the site's operational lifespan, which is 30 years. The fund will therefore provide a total of £2,100,000 across the duration of the operational project.

The fund will target the following social and environmental causes: Climate and Environmental Improvements, Youth Inclusion and Education, Road Safety, Cultural Dialogue and Heritage. 

We will be engaging with the Community Liaison Group on how the community benefit fund could be spent, as well as how the Community Benefit Fund should be governed.

If you have a suitable project that you would like to be considered, please get in touch.

Environmental benefits

The solar farm provides the opportunity to keep the land free from intensive farming practices and chemicals, allowing species to thrive and soil quality to improve. Biodiversity net-gain will be achieved by new and improved hedgerow, habitats, and tree planting. 

These enhancements will include: 

  • New planting to support a diverse range of critical invertebrate species and encourage new species along the site boundary
  • Wildlife corridors and the installation of bat and bird nesting boxes, woodpiles, and beehives along the site boundary
  • Additional measures to protect and enhance the hedgehog population on-site

We anticipate that these measures will result in a biodiversity net gain beyond the government’s 10% mandatory requirements.

Supporting Local Wildlife, Including Hedgehogs

The solar farm is expected to create a quieter, low-traffic environment over much of the site, which can offer a more hospitable setting for local wildlife. Once operational, areas around and beneath the solar panels are typically left undisturbed for long periods, allowing vegetation to regenerate and creating a calmer landscape that may be well-suited to species such as hedgehogs.

By removing intensive land uses from the site, the development could help provide more connected, low-disturbance green spaces that some wildlife species might find beneficial.