Overview
- Wiltshire Council planners partially discharged a construction and environmental management condition on Wednesday, allowing work to start on a ground‑mounted solar array at North Park, Savernake.
- The approved layout specifies 1,176 panels on removable screw piles expected to produce about 794,600 kWh a year with roughly 44% used on site and the rest exported to the grid.
- Planners and heritage specialists judged the benefits of on‑site renewable power and funding for the Tottenham House restoration outweighed harm to the registered parkland subject to screening, biodiversity measures and other conditions.
- Key mitigation includes woodland screening, new planting, continued agricultural grazing around the panels and a reported biodiversity net gain above 43%, while work on a proposed water lagoon and mains connection still awaits further environmental approvals.
- Local neighbours say the installation will harm views of the Capability Brown landscape and could set a precedent for protected areas, while the project is tied to billionaire Chris Rokos's extensive restoration programme at the Grade I listed house.