Copston Magna Solar Farm

Providing Clean, Green Energy for Warwickshire

PACE is preparing to submit a planning application to Rugby Borough Council for a 49.5MW Solar Farm and Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) on land south of Copston Lane, Warwickshire, LE10 3HE.

The solar farm will create enough clean, renewable energy to power approximately 22,859 homes per annum. The carbon offsetting of this solar farm is approximately 15,545 tonnes of CO2 per annum, which is the equivalent of taking 12,520 cars off the road each year.

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Where is the proposed Copston Magna Solar Farm?

Benefits of Copston Magna Solar Farm

The solar farm will assist Rugby Borough Council in reducing greenhouse gas emissions in line with national and local targets in response to the Climate Emergency.

The project will deliver net beneficial gains for biodiversity. Solar farm installations have a small footprint on the land they occupy, leaving considerable scope for biodiversity enhancements. Research has shown that responsibly managed solar farms can play an important role in reducing the decline in biodiversity.
Existing trees and hedgerows will be retained and protected and supplemented by additional native species planting to support local habitats as part of a wider ecological network.
The development of green projects like Copston Magna Solar Farm also create business opportunities and economic activity which contribute to the country’s green recovery.

We are committed to using local suppliers and contractors during construction and long-term operation of the project, which will benefit the local economy, and provide jobs to people in the local area.

The proposal does not require the stopping or diversion of any public rights of way.
This is a temporary development, allowing the land to rest for the period of operation up to 40 years. Decommissioning and full restoration of the site at the end of life of the development will be secured via planning condition.
PACE is seeking to engage with the local community to support projects in the local area.
The project does not require Government subsidies.

About Us

PACE is a leading independent developer of energy projects.

PACE was established in 2017 as a global developer and investor in clean energy and brings together over 85 years of experience from across the technical and financial supply chain.

We are working with the National Grid to develop a portfolio of strategically located solar photovoltaic and battery storage installations that ensure low carbon electricity is delivered when and where it is most needed.

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Frequently Asked Questions

The Climate Emergency, the cost of living crisis and the energy crunch are all linked by how we generate, use and supply energy. We urgently need to generate energy from new, low cost, low carbon sources and solar is the lowest cost and quickest to deploy of all energy sources. It is currently one-ninth the cost of gas and less than one third of the cost of nuclear.
Solar is already making a difference, for example between June and August in 2023, solar often provided up to 25% of UK daytime electricity (National Grid ESO carbon app). The Government’s new strategy Powering Up Britain – Delivering Energy Security and Net Zero (March 2023) has set a target for a fivefold increase in solar by 2035, up to 70GW, enough to power around 20 million homes. This can only be achieved by deploying solar on both land and buildings.
The solar farm is a temporary development and will not change the land classification. Once the solar farm is no longer in operation it will be decommissioned and the land will return to its previous agricultural usage.
The UK Food Security Report (2021) found that “the biggest medium to long term risk to the UK’s domestic production comes from climate change and other environmental pressures like soil degradation, water quality and biodiversity”. Solar farms currently account for 0.08% of total land use in the UK (Solar Energy UK 2022). The Government targets for a fivefold increase in solar would result in 0.3% of the UK land area being used by solar (Carbon Brief, 2022). This is the equivalent to around half of the space used by golf courses.

Battery energy storage sites are not usually audible above ambient noise- levels. A full noise assessment has been conducted for the site and the project design will include a raised earth and landscaped area to the north of the proposed infrastructure to mitigate the already low levels of noise.
The BESS is a temporary development and will not change the land classification. When the BESS has been decommissioned, the consent will require the land to be restored to its previous purpose. This means the site remains classified as agricultural greenfield and does not become previously developed ‘brownfield’ land in policy terms.
Once operational the BESS facility will have a low- impact presence with only the occasional operations and maintenance visit. The only period with potential traffic impact is during the short-term temporary construction phase, which is estimated to take between 6-8 months.
The Highway Authority considered the original proposals and had no objections. As the revised scheme is of a significantly reduced scale there will be a proportionate reduction in vehicle numbers required to implement the consent. In advance of a planning submission, we welcome any local inputs on measures we can include to minimise impact.

The site for Copston Magna Solar Farm has been carefully selected as part of a detailed site assessment process. Considerations have been made on all the following, to ensure this site is the most appropriate one for our scheme: grid capacity, land availability, heritage assets, flood risk and agricultural land quality.
Solar panels have no moving parts and emit no sound. Inverters and transformers can emit very low- level sound, but these are sited away from houses and cannot be heard from more than a few metres away.
There is no evidence that solar farms have a negative impact on wildlife. In fact, wildlife thrives within the sites when managed sensitively.
We are committed to significant net biodiversity gain at Copston Magna Solar Farm through the creation of new habitats to support local wildlife. Existing hedgerows will be strengthened and new hedgerows will be planted to improve habitat connectivity across the site. We will set aside a significant proportion of the land for habitats to support mammals, birds and invertebrates.
Further ecological enhancement measures such as bird boxes and bat boxes will be placed within the site to encourage those populations to prosper.

The battery enclosures are specifically engineered to guarantee secure operation throughout the project’s lifespan. Advanced safety measures, including continuous monitoring of individual battery cells, are in place to promptly address any potential concerns and manage operations for utmost safety.
Battery energy storage systems are designed to adhere to stringent safety standards established by international regulatory bodies like the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). These comprehensive standards encompass various facets of battery storage systems, including installation, operation, and maintenance, to ensure their compliance with the highest safety protocols.
The Lithium-Ion batteries that will be used in the project are not reliant on scarce raw materials. There are established recycling processes for recovering the most common elements used in battery construction - cobalt, nickel, lithium and manganese - for re-use.

Public Consultation Event

You are invited to our public consultation event which will be taking place on Wednesday 17th April at Wolvey Village Hall, The Square, Wolvey, Hinckley LE10 3LJ (2pm - 7pm)