Planning request could signal start of work on major solar farm in north Wales

Alec Doyle – Local democracy reporter

Construction of a huge solar farm on agricultural land in Abenbury may soon begin if a new application is approved by Wrexham Council.

Novus Renewable Services – the company behind the plans – already secured planning approval back in 2023 for the solar farm on fields next to Old Llwyn Onn Farm off Cefn Road.

But work to install solar panels and electrical infrastructure on the site has not yet begun.

That may soon change however after Wrexham Council’s planning officers received an request to approve how the panels will be anchored to the ground.

Remains

In the original application work was not permitted to begin until ‘a detailed scheme showing the scope and arrangement of the foundation design and all new groundwork, which may have an impact on important archaeological
remains identified in prior archaeological assessments has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority’.

The site is on the opposite side of Cefn Road to Llwyn Onn Mill – believed to have been at various times a paper mill, flour mill, wire mill and foundry – but there remains the possibility that there are items or features of archaeological interest in the fields.

According to the new plan the solar panels will be fixed to the ground with Gabion baskets – metal cages weighted with rocks that mean the solar panels will not need to have deep foundations dug into the ground.

This minimises the impact on anything below the surface and also makes restoring the ground to agricultural use – should the solar farm ever be decommissioned – easier.

Power

Heneb – The Trust for Welsh Archaeology – has already responded to the application stating it has no objection to the use of Gabions to anchor the solar panels.

Once work begins on the site it is estimated it will take 16 weeks to complete. The solar farm will cover 14.75 hectares – equivalent to the size of almost 21 football pitches.

It is due to be operational for 40 years and have a capacity to generate 16 megaWatts of electricity – enough to power around 4,800 homes per day on average.

The site will also include a battery storage facility to help maintain a regular supply of energy and there will be a separate substation opposite the farm just south of the River Clywedog.