Lightwood Solar Farm
In May 2025 six FCE members attended the public consultation at Awre Parish Hall and met the Eden Renewables team. It was a great opportunity to see the plans in detail and to ask questions about the proposed Lightwood Solar Farm. We were very impressed by the expertise and attention to detail displayed.
Sophy Fearnley-Whittingstall from Eden Renewables came to speak about the project at our June 2025 meeting and explained in more detail how the proposed shared community ownership and community benefit fund might work. It is an exciting opportunity to progress community energy here in the Forest of Dean.
Last week four members of FCE joined local parish councilors, braved the mud and rain, and visited the site of the proposed solar installation. We imagined how it might look from different footpaths and viewpoints. It was a really interesting afternoon and the Eden Renewables team did a great job of preparing for the visit by adding marker flags which were very helpful. The new hedgerows and planting schemes were discussed and it was good to see some of the existing hedgerows in their autumn colours.
Eden Renewables will be producing some more photo-montages of the key viewpoints we looked at and submitting them with the planning application.
The planning application is open for public comments so now is a good time to show support.
Comments can be made online (you have to register and login first), or by emailing planning@fdean.gov.uk quoting reference: P0498/25/FUL
More Details
The proposed new solar farm is located in the Forest of Dean, 2km east of Blakeney. The comprehensive, detailed plans include:
• Continued agricultural use with sheep grazing
• Native grass and wildflower mix sown around the panels for biodiversity enhancement
• New hedgerows and trees planted for more screening and biodiversity enhancement
• All public rights of way retained
• Less than 5% of the area used by the actual footprint of the panels
Popular benefits of the new solar farm include; reduction in carbon emissions, increased energy security, biodiversity and environmental improvements, and the creation of an annual £20k Community Benefit Fund. Suggestions for using the Fund include: solar panels and energy efficiency for local community buildings, raising awareness of climate change through art and music, more community energy, nature projects and electrification, and tackling fuel poverty.
Eden Renewables are offering up to 20% shared Community Ownership of the solar farm, which is a very exciting prospect for us at Forest Community Energy. Our members who have looked in detail at the plans are impressed by the attention to biodiversity, and the opportunity for us all to be involved in a significant green-energy project.
