A new solar farm is being developed by Bluestone Energy in partnership with Anglian Water.

Bluestone Energy and Anglian Water are launching a public consultation on a new solar farm in Pilton, Rutland.

Bluestone Energy, working alongside Anglian Water, are running a number of public consultation events from 23rd January – 28th February for a new solar energy scheme south of Pilton, in Rutland.

As part of the consultation, set to take place from 23 January until 28 February 2023, there will be two online webinars and an in-person exhibition event.

Staveley Solar Farm is planned to have a maximum power output of 40MW of renewable energy and would help decarbonise Rutland's water supply and support the Government's target to make the UK carbon neutral by 2050.

Under plans for the project, approximately 10-15% would be utilised at the Wing Water Treatment Works via 'direct wire', and around 75-80% would be used by Anglian Water to decarbonise operations across their estate, which includes several sites across Rutland.

Incorporating renewable energy sources such as Staveley Solar Farm will help Anglian Water meet their ambitious target of 45% renewable energy generation by 2025 and to become a net zero organisation by 2030.

As part of the consultation, members of the public will have the opportunity to share their feedback on the proposals, including biodiversity mitigation plans and the design of the project.

This will include two online webinars and an in-person exhibition event:

In-person event: Tuesday 24th January from 2:00 – 7:00 pm at Wing Village Hall, Morcott Road, Oakham, LE15 8SA.

Webinar #1: Wednesday 25th January – 7:00 – 8:00 pm

Webinar #2: Thursday 26th January – 12:30 – 1:30 pm

To register for a webinar, members of the public should email [email protected].

Claudia Dietz, Director of Planning at Bluestone Energy, said: "We are proud to be working with Anglian Water to help deliver on their ambitious net zero targets and support Government legislation to decarbonise our energy system and make the UK carbon neutral by 2050. Now, we want to work with local people to help achieve this vision and provide them with the opportunity to help shape our proposals before a detailed planning application is submitted."

This comes as another, 2,175 acre, solar farm is under review by the Planning Inspectorate, the proposal too large to be judged by Rutland County Council. Read more here.

Find out more about Staveley Solar Farm online or email [email protected] to join the conversation and share your views.