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£2.2m solar farm shelved, despite council’s near-£260,000 spend

10 Oct 2022 4 minute read
Solar farm. Photo Zsuzsa Bóka from Pixabay.

Twm Owen, Local Democracy Reporter

A council has shelved plans for a £2.2 million solar farm due to a dispute – despite having already spent more than a quarter of a million pounds on the scheme. 

The plan would have seen solar panels erected across a former landfill site, and would have produced enough electricity to offset 21 per cent of the council’s annual carbon emissions and earn it £63,000 in revenue every year for 35 years. 

But, although Torfaen County Borough Council has already spent £259,956 on the project planned for the former Ty Coch landfill site in Llantarnam, Cwmbran, it said it has had to pull the plug as it cannot overcome a dispute with the preferred bidder that won a tender exercise to construct it. 

The plan for a small solar farm was first agreed by the cabinet, and backed by the full council, in January 2020. but was delayed by the pandemic and the lockdown. 

However, after awarding the tender in June last year, there were further delays during autumn 2021 and into the winter after the contractor proposed changes which the council said it could not agree to while it also said market conditions had changed, making small scale farms less viable. 

Rachel Jowitt, the borough’s chief officer for neighbourhood and planning, told the full council: “The preferred bidder didn’t follow the council’s requirements.” 

A report said changes proposed by the contractor didn’t comply with the planning permission and the steps required to support biodiversity. 

Ms Jowitt said it may be possible to revive the project in future, and if it could be brought back the money spent so far wouldn’t be lost as it holds geological and ecological information on the site and design work could be carried forward. 

But the council doesn’t intend to start even small-scale engineering works to preserve the planning permission – which is due to expire in 2024 – while capacity problems with Uskmouth power station means there is no chance of a grid connection before 2027 at least, with the council having lost the connection it had secured. 

‘Wishful thinking’

Independent councillor for Llantarnam David Thomas said he and other councillors “expressed grave concerns” over the plan in 2018 and 2020. 

He said: “£259,956 of Torfaen taxpayers’ money has been spent on this project with nothing to show for it, it was wishful thinking in the extreme to think this project would ever be viable now or in the future. 

“At what point does this Labour led authority take responsibility for losing over a quarter of a million pounds of Torfaen taxpaers’ money? Who is going to make a public apology and how are we going to get this money back?” 

Council officer Ms Jowitt said the project had always been on the council’s “risk register” and other neighbouring authorities have previously successfully completed such projects. She said: “The business case did stack up at the time.” 

She added: “We were trying to be innovative and bold. I’m deeply sorry this report has come to you, it’s not something I want to have on my watch.” 

Council leader Anthony Hunt said the council had declared a climate emergency and said: “We are not going to meet the requirements of that promise unless we take some risks. Yes, I regret the way this has happened.” 

Cllr Thomas responded: “So no-one is making a public apology?” 

Cllr Hunt, who represents Panteg, also said he would write to power firm Western Power Distribution over the Uskmout connection problem which is also a concern to Newport and Monmouthshire councils and businesses in the area. 


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Mab Meirion
Mab Meirion
1 year ago

Due diligence and common sense so often missing in councils up and down this land. Can we have a breakdown of who pocketed this money, don’t tell me, every one had a professional qualification in law and business except the council members. Same old story…

Mab Meirion
Mab Meirion
1 year ago
Reply to  Mab Meirion

Solar farms no…zip wires yes !

hdavies15
hdavies15
1 year ago
Reply to  Mab Meirion

Only if they can generate electricity from energy released by rapid movement over the wire!

Mab Meirion
Mab Meirion
1 year ago
Reply to  hdavies15

Thanks for that hd, you have me smiling and thinking…

Kerry Davies
Kerry Davies
1 year ago

Spent £250K, saved £2M more on what might well have been a white elephant given the way Westminster has messed up feed-in tariffs.
“When circumstances change, I change my mind.” John Maynard Keynes.

Frank
Frank
1 year ago

Councils don’t care about wasting taxpayers’ cash as long as they get paid expenses for attending as many meetings as they can. Probably the £250k went to their buddies in the legal profession. You scratch my back and……….

The Original Mark
The Original Mark
1 year ago

So the preferred bidder won the contract and then tried to make changes?

I think this could do with some expansion,

George Thomas
George Thomas
1 year ago

Why isn’t there more focus on this point?

Y Tywysog Lloegr a Moscow
Y Tywysog Lloegr a Moscow
1 year ago

Now Bid stage is not my area of expertise, but so far as I am aware, “Preferred Bidder” is not the same as “Successful Tenderer”. Preferred bidders may get some early work, further developing a project concept to a stage where a more accurate tender can be produced. Which they get paid for. If they don’t follow the brief, an amount of payment can be withheld until they do. Preferred Bidder status can be passed to another bidder.
Did the council not scrutinise the work at scheduled hold points?

hdavies15
hdavies15
1 year ago

You sound far too structured and systematic for the council fraternity who prefer to weigh options by size of brown envelopes!

Peter Cuthbert
Peter Cuthbert
1 year ago
Reply to  hdavies15

I don’t think that we have sufficient information in the article to apportion blame. What is clear is that the preliminary work for the site has been completed successfully but the Network Operator (Privatized of course) has failed to provide the adequate network connection that they promised. So if we are slinging mud pies then the Network Operator ought to get the first batch. Secondly, there are other ways forward. The Council could float the idea of setting up a Community Interest Company whose objective would be to generate energy for use by and sale to the local community. There… Read more »

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