Wednesday 20 November 2019

Plans for a Solar Farm in Preuilly sur Claise


For decades the former Dennery furniture factory site has stood abandoned on the edge of Preuilly. Once it was a significant employer and a brand of high quality furniture that was shipped all over the world. Now it is some unmaintained buildings in a bramble infested enclosure.


The owner, I am told, lives in La Rochelle, and cannot afford to clean up the site. There is a lot of asbestos that needs to be removed before anything else happens.


So an initiative by the municipal council to install a solar farm on the site is a win for everyone. It will ensure the land is cleaned up. The project will be contributing to the region's renewable energy plan and the town may benefit financially both by the work and the ongoing electricity production.

The notice on the wire mesh perimeter fence calls for the public to submit their ideas, objections and observations on the project over the period of a month up to 19 November 2019. A commissioner was present on two dates to personally receive submissions. Now the public consultation process is over, and a biodiversity survey done the commissioner will write a report which will be held at the town hall for a year so the public can consult it. Then a decision will be made about whether the project meets planning and policy requirements, or whether modifications need to be made.

It seems to me that this is an ideal project for this abandoned brownfield site. It faces south, the asbestos will get cleaned up and there will be renewable energy. I will be able to see it from the orchard, which I quite like the idea of, and everyone who drives out of town towards Le Grand Pressigny or Chaumussay will see it. For some reason solar farms cause a lot less outraged opposition than wind farms, even though they are equally alien to our small scale mosaic landscape in my opinion.

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2 comments:

Sheila said...

It would be difficult to imagine why anyone would try to put a stop to such a worthwhile project.

Susan said...

If it was a wind farm on the same site achieving the same results it would undoubtedly be opposed by at least 50% of the population.

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