Welcome to Fonmon Solar Farm
Fonmon Solar Farm
Welcome to the project webpage for Fonmon Solar Farm (formerly East Aberthaw Solar Farm), a proposed solar farm located on land between Aberthaw Power Station and Cardiff Airport, Rhoose, Vale of Glamorgan.
This website contains information about the project, a summary of the proposals, as well as detailed information contained in the draft planning application documents available to download from the ‘Project Documents’ tab.
We undertook an informal phase of early consultation on the proposals in Summer 2022. The formal, statutory phase of consultation took place between the 9th February 2023 and 28th March 2023. All consultation materials remain available to view.
Statutory Consultation
From 9th February 2023, all draft application documents and consultation materials were available to view and download from this website.
We held two public consultation exhibitions at the following times and locations:
- 1st March 2023 – 2pm to 7pm – Rhoose & District Social Club, Fontygary Road, Rhoose
- 3rd March 2023 – 2pm to 7pm – Celtic Way Community Centre, Celtic Way, Rhoose
Full details of this consultation were made available on a community leaflet, which can be found in the project documents area of this website.
You are welcome to visit our virtual exhibition, which will remain available for reference throughout the process.
Winter 2024 Update
Our planning application has now formally been accepted by Planning and Environment Decisions Wales (PEDW).
Project documents and technical information can now be found on the Welsh Government’s planning casework website by using the reference number: CAS-01391-M3G6Q9.
The project website will remain operational throughout the examination process, and project documents can continue to be accessed.
Surveys and site visits
We commissioned various additional surveys and assessments including a Residential Visual Amenity Assessment (RVAA) for the scheme. This involved taking photographs from nearby properties and preparing a report with an assessment of the visual amenity effects of the proposals from different areas around the site. This information was then considered by the project team in the refinement of the final proposals.
As part of the pre-application process, we were also required to submit detailed survey results in relation to archaeological assessment across the site. This involved trial trenches being dug around the site for the archaeologists to consider the below-ground conditions. This work informed our final proposals.
This scheme is proposed to have an annual export capacity of up to 35MW – this is equivalent to:
Homes powered each year
Tonnes of CO2 removed each year
Cars off the road each year
The process
Given the nature of this application, and the fact that it will generate more than 10MW of electricity, this project is deemed a Development of National Significance (DNS) and we must apply to Planning and Environment Decisions Wales (PEDW), which will make a recommendation to Welsh Ministers on whether or not to grant planning permission.
Ultimately, Welsh Ministers will decide whether or not to approve the application, however many other parties will have the opportunity to influence the proposals, including host local authority, Vale of Glamorgan Council, as well as local communities and interested parties.
About Low Carbon
Low Carbon is a privately-owned UK investment and asset management company founded in 2011. We are committed to making a positive and significant impact on climate change by investing in large-scale renewable energy projects. Specifically, we target investments in solar, onshore wind, offshore wind, waste-to-energy battery storage and other proven renewable energy technologies.
The Low Carbon platform enables the deployment of capital at scale into renewables, investing across the full life-cycle from concept, through to development, construction and operation.
Further information can be found here: https://www.lowcarbon.com/