Latest news with #Cawood
BBC News
02-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Selby solar farm plans raise debate about agricultural land use
A proposal for a solar farm between villages near Selby has raised debate about agricultural land being used for green energy schemes.A planning application is being prepared for a 49.9MW solar farm and battery energy storage scheme (BESS) on farmland between the villages of Cawood and Wistow. Renewable energy company Quintas Cleantech said the 60-hectare Wiswood solar farm would power the equivalent of 15,150 homes, and the land could still be used for grazing North Yorkshire councillor Stephanie Duckett raised concerns about using "good agricultural land", expressing her preference for solar schemes to use poorer agricultural land or brownfield sites. An environmental impact assessment report was submitted to North Yorkshire Council ahead of a full application being initial consultation exercise had been held with local residents, according to the Local Democracy Reporting applicants said the scheme would "provide biodiversity enhancements" across the site, beyond the national requirement of 10%.Supporting documents added: "The proposal will have a lifespan of 40 years, after which all equipment will be removed from the site and the land will continue to be used for agriculture."Several other solar farms have been planned for the area, including one near the village of said there had been a proliferation of schemes being proposed for the former Selby district recently."The main problem is that they are being planned on good agricultural land," she added."They say they will return the land back to agricultural land after 40 years, but who knows if these companies will still be around to pay to get rid of all that concrete you need to set up these solar farms."Planning authorities have previously been encouraged to encourage solar farms on poorer quality land rather than agricultural land classes as 'best and most versatile' (BMV).Quintas Cleantech said detailed soil assessments would be included with the planning application to find out if the proposed site was BMV, but this would not prevent it from being developed as a solar farm and BESS. Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
BBC News
04-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Potting robot helps bring Leeds into spring bloom
A robot has been used to help prepare about two million plants which will later be placed around a city to bring a burst of colour this spring and state-of-the-art machine is based at The Arium, a garden centre and plant nursery in Whinmoor, Leeds, and is operated by the city "potting robot" works by transplanting young plants from their seed trays into their final trays before they are placed in parks and flowerbeds and on Cawood, nursery manager at The Arium, said the device was "worth its weight in gold". "It is hugely important. It's saving a lot on staffing and it's a lot more efficient," he said."We can programme in works better to fit into other works we have going on."We would be lost without it." Mr Cawood said the potting robot - otherwise known as a Rotomation RW24 Transplanter - had now stopped full-time work for the moment, but it was due to get under way again in late July in preparation for human staff were now focused on getting the plants to the council, ready for planting, he said."We have two days to get tidied and get ready for dispatch," he explained."We need to be getting the bedding out in the next two to three weeks." The Arium is believed to be the largest council-run plant nursery in the country, having been run by Leeds City Council since 1956. Mr Cawood said that gave the nursery a special role in helping many people in Leeds, from community groups to school projects."We are here to grow for the people of Leeds, to give advice to the people of Leeds on the horticultural side of things," he said."We will deal with groups, large or small. We are here to help them out." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
