Senior councillors have agreed to build a £2 million solar farm in Barrow.

Members of Westmorland and Furness Council’s cabinet met at the County Hall in Kendal on Tuesday (September 12).

The 2MW solar farm will be at Sandscale Park and cost an estimated £2.781m to build.

The council will award the construction contract to build the solar farm to Vital Energi at a cost of £2.481m, it was agreed.

The solar farm will generate green electricity which will be used to offset the council’s carbon emissions in line with its carbon management objectives.

The site will bring about reductions in carbon for the council and is expected to result in savings of around 607 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per annum.

This is equivalent to planting 700,000 trees and would provide enough electricity to power the council’s five leisure centres or approximately 730 homes per year, based upon average UK households.

In light of rising global energy prices, the solar farm will contribute to the council’s income generation, mitigate energy costs, and boost the council’s energy sovereignty, independence and security.

Councillor Peter Thornton ( Kendal Strickland and Fell, Lib Dems), cabinet member for highways and assets, said it was surplus council land in the Barrow area.  He added: “It has potential for income regeneration.”

He said 2MW was enough to boil ’62 million kettles a year.’

Councillor Giles Archibald (Kendal Strickland and Fell, Lib Dems), cabinet member for climate and biodiversity, said: “Sometimes we are accused of greenwashing, this ain’t greenwashing and we will deliver.”

Councillor Virginia Taylor (Penrith South, Lib Dems), cabinet member for sustainable communities and localities, asked what the land was currently used for.

Cllr Thornton said it was grade five agricultural land and is very poor quality. He added: ” I am told there is no loss to biodiversity but we can still graze sheep on the land.”

Part of the development includes plans to increase opportunities for pollinators, manage grassland sheep grazing levels, retention of bird nesting habitat, and woodland enhancement.

Councillor Andrew Jarvis (Windermere and Ambleside, Lib Dems), cabinet member for finance, said: “This is about us making the best use of our assets and the commercial case for this is good but it goes beyond that. ”

When it was put to a vote it was unanimously approved and council leader councillor Jonathan Brook (Kendal South, Lib Dems), said: “It’s been carried so further work can commence.”

A report prepared for the meeting said: “The proposed solar farm could generate the equivalent of approximately 30% of our electricity consumed based on our benchmark consumption year of 2019/20.”

The solar farm will save 600 tonnes of CO2 which is the equivalent to planting 700,000 trees.