Residents living next to a new solar farm in Wick have praised its developer, Anesco, for working closely with the local community to make much needed improvements to the area.
Power is now on at the 3.6MW Brookbarn solar farm, which has been constructed on a former landfill site and will generate enough renewable energy to power 1,250 homes annually, while saving up to 1,800 tonnes of carbon per year.
The solar farm is accessed via Old Mead Road, an unadopted road that had fallen into disrepair and was littered with potholes. After speaking with local residents and hearing their concerns about the poor state of the road, Anesco offered to resurface it as part of the redevelopment.
The company has also provided funding of £12k to Littlehampton Town Council that has been put towards the upkeep and provision of new play equipment for Rosemead Open Space.
Jane, a local resident, commented: “The team from Anesco has done a very nice job of the road. We are all a bit quick to complain sometimes and not quick enough to give thanks and praise where it’s due. Anesco has been good on their word and I would like to say very many thanks. The company has behaved impeccably throughout and on top of all they have done for us in doing the road, they even fitted bat and owl boxes for the local wildlife.”
Resident Susan Ashby-Wyatt, added: “Anesco is a company that actually listens and cares about the residents and the local area where they are siting solar farms. The team listened to our concerns and has gone out of their way to accommodate our requests.”
Brookbarn solar farm will be in operation for 25 years and falls strongly in line with Government policy to regenerate brownfield sites. Anesco will be providing monitoring and maintenance for the site for the full length of the agreement. It has been constructed using specialist ballast that means the installation has not involved any drilling into the ground where gases from the landfill may be trapped.
Director of sales at Anesco, Lee Adams, who oversaw the development of the project, commented: “We’re absolutely delighted with the feedback we have received from local residents. We always strive to work closely with local communities throughout the planning and construction process, to listen to their comments and address any concerns. As a company we also use locally-based teams and suppliers to help generate employment in the areas in which we operate.”
He added: “We are always keen to find ways that we can give something extra back for the benefit of the wider community, such as through support for local facilities or by improving the environment for residents, like we have done with the Old Mead Road repairs.”
Anesco works with businesses, local authorities, housing associations and homeowners to reduce their carbon emissions. The company was named the UK’s fastest growing private company by Sunday Times Fast Track in 2013 and again in 2014. This year for the first time Anesco has also been ranked within the Sunday Times Top Track 250 league table, which ranks Britain’s mid-market growth private companies with the biggest sales.
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