New solar power system approved for Ford Prison

Ford Prison will soon be running on solar power after plans to install a solar photovoltaic generation system were approved.
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The Ministry of Justice applied to Arun District Council for a 239.2MWh Solar Photovoltaic (PV) generation system at the prison in Ford Road.

Instructed by the MoJ, Cushman and Wakefield said there would be five panels comprising 124 modules and the panels would be no more than three metres high.

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The site would be surrounded by an access road and a mesh fence enclosure.

Ford Prison has had a solar power system approvedFord Prison has had a solar power system approved
Ford Prison has had a solar power system approved

Plans included installing three bat boxes, three bird boxes and an invertebrate habitat, along with grassland and hedgerow.

The statement said the MoJ had been awarded funding to invest in low carbon technologies on its estates to enable post Covid-19 recovery and reduce carbon emissions.

The MoJ was focusing its spend on the installation of ground mounted photovoltaic panels on its land.

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An initial feasibility exercise was carried out to prioritise sites where a substantial benefit could be achieved both for the MoJ and the local authority in addressing its own environmental challenges.

HMP Ford was identified as a priority site.

Arun planners said: “The proposed panels will provide energy solely for the operational prison with the objective of reducing mains energy usage and offsetting carbon emissions.

“The proposed solar arrays are predicted to generate 239.2MWh. This is expected to contribute to 19.55 per cent of the total prison yearly energy demands.

“Solar energy is a renewable source, producing electricity which emits no pollution, produces no greenhouse gases and uses no finite fossil-fuel resources offers very real benefits in savings in CO2 emissions and reducing the impact of greenhouse gases on climate change.”

To view the decision go to the Arun District Council planning portal and use the reference F/16/21/PL.

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