Central Bedfordshire Council has consented a solar farm that will generate enough renewable energy for over 9,500 homes. The 21W solar farm is located at Lowfield Farm, Sandy, Bedfordshire. The planning application, which had a positive recommendation from the planning officer, was approved by the Council’s planning committee earlier this year and ratified this week.
Renewable Connections, one of the UK’s leading solar and battery developers, submitted the application in January 2025 following consultation with both the community and statutory consultees.
Michael Hughes, Chief Executive Officer at Renewable Connections said: “Lowfield Solar Farm will generate enough clean energy to power over 9,500 homes. The project will improve energy stability and security in Bedfordshire and the UK, displacing over 200,000 tonnes of CO2 over the lifetime of the project. We thank the local community and elected members who have been highly engaged and supportive throughout the development process. Their feedback has been integral to shaping the final project design which will deliver benefits to the environment and wider community.”
The site proposed for Lowfield Solar Farm comprises approximately 47 hectares of land. The solar panels will be installed in rows, which run east to west through the site. These rows will be tilted towards the south to capture the maximum amount of solar irradiation possible.
The project, which will be delivered in partnership with European Energy UK, comes with a community benefit package in the region of £42,000. The community benefit fund can be used support local community initiatives and will become live upon energisation of the solar farm.