Powering a reliable energy
future for the UK
Construction
If approved, construction of Arrow Valley Solar is expected to start in 2029 and take place over a two-year period, with the Scheme generating clean electricity from 2031. The first stage of construction would be site preparation, which would include:
- Creating safe site access points, using existing field entrances and farm tracks wherever possible
- Setting up temporary construction compounds for workers
- Making any road improvements needed to support safe construction access
- Creating internal access tracks so vehicles can move safely around the sites
- Preparing the land so construction can begin safely
Once this is complete, we will begin installing the solar panels, electrical equipment and battery energy storage system.
Work on the battery storage, substation, underground cables and connection into Feckenham Substation would take place at the same time as the solar panel installation, helping construction progress efficiently across the project area.
It is anticipated that the average number of workers across the construction phase would be 473 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers, with a peak of 795 FTE, although the size of the workforce will fluctuate depending on the level of ongoing activity. The workforce would be distributed across different sites, with work happening in parallel across various locations.
Construction will not take place everywhere for the entire two-year period; instead, we will phase it sensitively to be as efficient as possible and minimise disruption.
We are proposing that construction activity should take place between 7am and 6pm Monday to Friday, and from 8am-1pm on Saturday, with no work taking place on Sundays or Bank Holidays. In exceptional circumstances, some activities may need to take place outside these hours.
Throughout construction, measures would be in place to reduce disruption and protect the environment. Construction traffic would be managed through a Construction Traffic Management Plan, whilst a Construction Environmental Management Plan would set out controls for issues such as noise, dust, drainage, lighting and waste. Soil would be carefully managed and reused where possible, governed by a Soil Management Plan, and temporary working areas would be reinstated once works are complete.
Following construction, new landscaping and habitats would be created to help Arrow Valley Solar sit sensitively within the surrounding countryside and support improvements to biodiversity.
Operation
Our development consent order application will seek permission to operate Arrow Valley Solar for a period of up to 60 years.
A small full-time staff team would be based on site once Arrow Valley Solar is up and running. In addition, the Scheme will also be monitored remotely, and some specialist staff will visit occasionally for routine checks and maintenance. Small staff facilities would be provided in the control rooms linked to the substations, and monitoring equipment would be housed on site. Around 19 full-time equivalent jobs would be created, combining roles on-site and elsewhere.
Operating BESS safely
Battery energy storage is a well-established technology that is used widely in everyday life and plays an important role in creating a reliable electricity network. Safety of our battery energy storage system has been a key consideration for this project.
An Outline Battery Safety Management Plan will be submitted with the application, and we will work closely with Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service and Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service as the project develops. The battery energy storage system will be designed in line with National Fire Chiefs Council guidance, and equipment will be monitored, maintained and operated in accordance with industry good practice and relevant standards.
Decommissioning
Following up to 60 years of operation, the site would be carefully decommissioned over a period of around one to two years.
A detailed Decommissioning Environmental Management Plan would be prepared and shared with local authorities before any work starts, ensuring the process is carried out safely and in line with environmental regulations.
All above-ground equipment, including solar panels, batteries, substations, and cabling would be removed, with materials recycled wherever possible, or otherwise responsibly disposed of. Below-ground cabling may be left in-situ or may be removed, depending on best practice at the time.
There will be a legal obligation secured in the development consent order for the site operator to restore the land to its previous ‘greenfield’ agricultural use and to ensure soils are restored to their existing condition.
Before first operation, we will also put in place a decommissioning security, which is a fund held in place for the life of the Scheme to ensure that the cost of decommissioning can always be covered.
After decommissioning, existing agricultural use will then resume, whilst beneficial features like hedgerows and trees are likely to be retained if the landowner chooses to keep them.
Get in touch
If you have any questions or would like to find out more about the project, please contact us at:
Email:
Phone:
If you are a landowner within the potential cable route corridor, please contact our land agents:
Email: arrowvalleysolar@dalcourmaclaren.com
Phone: 0333 188 5374
Register for updates
Want to keep up to date with the latest from Arrow Valley Solar?