Plans have been submitted for a 50MW solar farm north of Grantham.

Lightsource seek to operate the farm on 76.19ha of farmland off Cliff Lane, Marston, west of the A1 at Gonerby Moor.

As Nub News previously reported, the company began a consultation process, prior to submitting its planning application to South Kesteven District Council.

In their application, Lightsource commented: "The Solar Farm has been specifically designed to allow for sheep grazing within the site, thus providing a dual productive function of renewable energy generation and agricultural production. Additional planting across the site will also boost biodiversity.

"The environmental assessments accompanying this Design and Access Statement, conclude that the impacts of the proposal have been shown to be acceptable and, where harm has been identified, it has been demonstrated this is limited and falls some way below a threshold which would warrant the withholding of Planning Permission.

"Other benefits, in the form of ecological and landscape enhancements, weigh heavily in favour of support for this development."

The application then concluded the scheme was appropriate in regards to design and access.

"The proposal has been shown to be in compliance with the relevant Development Plan policies. The development supports the Government's policy for the UK's transition to achieving a low carbon economy and assists in meeting the pressing need for deployment of renewable energy generation in the UK to contribute towards the UK's 2025 targets for renewable energy and carbon emission reductions."

It added: "With this in mind, the Council is encouraged to support this application through the granting of Planning Permission without delay."