Plans for a solar farm – which would cover land equivalent to 115 football pitches – have been submitted for South Cumbria.
Innova Renewables Developments wants to create the 82-hectare farm and energy storage facility on land south of Riddings Lane in Gleaston, between Barrow and Ulverston.
It said it would be capable of powering 12,740 homes and will save 10,700 tonnes of CO2 each year.
The firm said that energy security had become a significant concern since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which had also prompted soaring energy prices.
It added: “It is becoming increasingly evident that there is a desire within the Government to be as self-sufficient as possible with our energy supply.”
The land is currently marked as grade three agricultural land, which means it is of ‘moderate quality’, according to Natural England’s Regional Maps.
If approved, the solar farm would take around nine months to build and the firm said there would be a peak number of 28 deliveries a day.
The solar farm would have a lifespan of 40 years and after it was decommissioned, the land would be returned to its former use.
The planning application is undergoing public consultation.
