Barkham Solar Farm Project

The delivery of the Barkham Solar Farm is a key action in the Council’s Climate Emergency Action Plan in working towards a carbon neutral Wokingham Borough. By generating renewable energy locally and putting it back into the grid, schemes like this have a significant part to play in reducing carbon emissions, securing sustainable power supplies, stabilising the costs of energy, and helping reduce the impact of any cost of living crisis for residents in the longer term.

Current forecasts also indicate that the Solar Farm will generate a considerable net income for Wokingham Borough Council. At a time when the Council is facing increasing financial pressures, this income will help fund important council services over the coming years.

The site

The proposed site for the solar farm is on council owned farmland to the north of California Country Park, to the west of Finchampstead and to the south of Barkham. 

The solar farm will connect into the grid via a substation on Barkham Road opposite the Ye Olde Leathern Bottle pub. A map of the site and the connection route can be viewed by downloading this map:

• Barkham Solar Farm Location (PDF)

The project

When operational, it is estimated that the solar farm could generate in excess of 29 MWs (Megawatts) of electricity and produce some 28,563,000 kWh (Kilowatt Hours) of electricity per annum. According to latest Ofgem figures, this would cover the electric usage of more than 10,500 homes.

The Barkham Solar Farm Project will include the following:

• Installation of approximately 43,000 solar panels and associated equipment necessary for the operation of the solar farm.
• Security fencing, with sensor-controlled lighting and CCTV around the perimeter of the new facility.
• Grid Connection – Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) will be responsible for running underground cables from the solar farm to the substation on Barkham Road. The first part of this route crosses council owned land to the north of the solar farm before reaching the highway on Edney’s Hill; whereafter the route will link up to Barkham Road and then continue northeast. The cable laying underneath the highway will require works in the carriageways and associated traffic management.
• Public Rights of Way Improvements - Provision of a new Greenway through the site connecting Bridleway 14 in the south with Footpath 10A in the north. A signalised pedestrian crossing will be provided where it crosses Barkham Ride.
• Planting of 2.66 hectares of woodland to the south; together with other landscaped areas across the rest of the site including meadow grassland, hedgerows and tree planting will enhance the biodiversity of the site and hep to capture carbon emissions.

A map of the proposed layout of the solar farm can be viewed by downloading these drawings:

• Landscape general arrangement 1 (PDF)
• Landscape general arrangement 2 (PDF)

Contribution to Wokingham’s Climate Emergency Action Plan (CEAP) targets:

CEAP Target 2.1.1 - Barkham Solar Farm - The Project is an integral part of the Plan. It is estimated that when operational the solar farm will contribute a carbon saving of 5,914 tCO2e per annum.

CEAP Target 1A.4.5 - Local cycling and walking infrastructure - The solar farm project includes the creation of a new greenway route, aimed at better linking Arborfield and Finchampstead to the south of the site, and Barkham village to the north. This will offer an attractive traffic free route and help encourage residents to walk or cycle more when moving around the borough.

CEAP Target 4.1.2 - Woodland planting to improve carbon capture and biodiversity net gain - The project includes 2.66 hectares of woodland planting along the southern boundary of the site which will include the planting of approximately 4,700 new trees.

Other benefits

Fruit Tree Nursery - The Council has worked with Freely Fruity (a local charity) to plant approximately 1,000 fruit trees on the site. Freely Fruity supports community groups, schools, Town and Parish council’s, in planting community orchards across the borough to provide free fruit and vegetables. More detail can be found on their website.

Biodiversity improvements – The landscaping at the site will see big improvements in local biodiversity. 

Employment Opportunities - An Employment Skills Plan will be developed to explore how the construction can provide opportunities for local employment, training, apprenticeship, and/or other vocational initiatives to develop local employability skills.

Progress so far

• The business case for the solar farm was originally approved by Council in September 2021.
• The planning application (reference 211081) was approved in January 2022.
• A grid connection date for Summer 2026 has been confirmed with SSEN (Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks.)
• Equans has been appointed as the main contractor for the project.
• A community liaison group has been established comprising of the project team, local ward councillors, the parish councils and other local stakeholders. The purpose of this group is to identify and minimise disturbance to neighbours during the construction works.
• A new access has been constructed on Barkham Ride that will help facilitate the construction of the development.

Next steps

The next steps of the solar farm are as follows:

Further questions

Should you have any questions or require further information, please contact us.