The proposed site is located beside the popular Mayfield Lavender Farm(Image: Peter S)
Proposals have been submitted to build a ten-thousand-module solar farm on land beside a popular lavender farm and golf course in Banstead.
The site in question spans 15 hectares and is found on the Surrey-Sutton border split between the territories of Reigate & Banstead Borough Council and Sutton Council.
Those behind the project envision a ten-thousand-module estate split across four farms. It would be of a scale capable of powering up to 2,600 homes in the area, according to planning documents.
Plans were submitted to both planning authorities at the end of October. They request the councils to consider whether an Environmental Impact Assessment would be required prior to the submission of a full planning application for the development.
Based just off Croydon Lane, the solar farm would become neighbour to the popular Mayfield Lavender Farm, Oaks Park and The Oaks Golf Club if it were to receive approval.
A rough indication of the proposed site for the solar farm (Image: Google)
The proposals are in the early planning stages. Documents submitted to the councils do offer some detail on the projected scale of the development.
Vehicular access would be created off Croydon Lane, connecting the 14.9 hectare Green Belt site to the surrounding Banstead, Carshalton and Sutton areas.
The site would feature four solar photovoltaic (PV) farms, combining into an estimated total of 10,000 PV modules.
Five substations and car parking would accompany this; creating a solar farm with an installed capacity of approximately 7.1 MWp, and a grid export restriction of 4.9 MW.
Electricity produced would supply the national grid. Planning documents estimate that the facility would be able to provide power to up to 2,600 homes; based on the typical household electricity consumption of approximately 2,500 kWh per year.
The site itself spans just under 15 hectares, however planning documents do not provide an estimate regarding the scale of the solar farms themselves.
Opposite the proposed site is The Oaks Golf Club and Oaks Park café, and situated to the east is the Mayfield Lavender Farm.
A rough indication of the site relative to the Mayfield Lavender Farm and The Oak Golf Club(Image: Google)
Oaks Park as an area has a historic connection to sport. During the 18th Century, the land formerly hosted The Oaks, or Epsom Oaks horse race, which began in 1779 and continues to be a famous fixture at Epsom Downs.
By the early 20th Century, the land came into public ownership. The historic estate was converted into the golf course and public park you will find today in the early 1970s.
Mayfield Lavender Farm is equal in its historic connections to this area of Surrey and Sutton, which has been known for its lavender production for centuries.
Today, the 25 acre farm off Croydon Lane is thought to be one of the largest organic lavender farms in the UK. Mayfield opened to the public in the late 2000s and now welcomes thousands of visitors each year.
These two popular destinations could become neighbours to a large solar farm. The proposals for land off Croydon Lane can be viewed online on Reigate & Banstead’s Planning Portal and Sutton’s Planning Portal.
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