Council officials are to investigate a new site for a solar farm in Smallford – after surveys suggested the original site considered for the project “must be protected at all costs”.

Hertfordshire County Council had initially earmarked the former Smallford Pit as a possible site for a proposed 22MW solar farm.

But on Monday (December 2) a meeting of the council’s cabinet was told that ecological habitats “of extremely high value” have been found there.

The council is now looking to develop the solar farm on two smaller council-owned sites, which adjoin the original Smallford Pit site, instead.

The proposed solar farm is part of the county council’s commitment to become carbon neutral ‘in its own operations’ by 2030.

But as well as off-setting the council’s own carbon footprint, councillors heard that surplus electricity from the proposed solar farm could provide a stream of income too – amounting to an estimated £15.9m over 30 years.

At the meeting, the cabinet agreed to approve £1.4m to fund works that would determine whether the solar farm would be feasible and, if so, to go through the planning process.

Presenting the report, executive member for resources and performance Cllr Bob Deering told the cabinet that officers considered the project to be “viable”.

He said it was expected that the project could deliver “quite a substantial surplus” if it was to go forward.

Welcoming the move, executive member for the environment Cllr Eric Buckmaster noted that it had been an ambition of the council “for quite some time”.

As well as the generation of renewable energy, he said there was a value that the electricity generated could derive an income.

Should the solar farm go ahead, the report suggests it would require a capital outlay of around £20.8m – with a further £2.3m required to replace the battery systems after 15 years.

There would, it suggests, be running costs over the 30-years life-span of the solar farm of around £40.7m.

But the revenue over that 30 year period is estimated to be around £95.6m, equating to a £15.9m profit.

Meanwhile estimates also suggest that the council could save up to £601k by using the energy created by the solar farm to offset some of its carbon emissions – rather than paying an external body to do this.

However the report does stress that the cost estimates should be used “as a guide only” as the development site is awaiting full design.

According to the report, the proposed sites are part of the council’s rural smallholdings estate.

The land is either on short term lettings or part of tenancies where officers hope tenants may retire – with compensation payable to tenants.

Smaller than the initial Smallford Pit site, the new site would have a capacity of 14.8MW – which is less than the 22MW originally planned.

According to the report to cabinet the proposed solar farm could be funded and operated by the county council, constructed by a developer or constructed in partnership with a developer.

A further report will be presented to the cabinet at a later date outlining “with greater accuracy” the costs and benefits of the three options.

Addressing the move away from the initial Smallford Pit site, the report presented to the cabinet says surveys had determined that the ecological habitat on the land was “of extremely high value”.

Classified as an “open mosaic habitat” it was, says the report, considered to be “an established biodiverse site that must be protected at all costs”.

It was found to have 147 species of vascular plants – with neutral, calcareous and acidic grassland types.

And in line with the council’s own Sustainable Hertfordshire Strategy, Tree and Woodland Strategy and Pollinator Strategy, it says the development would not be appropriate on the site.

“In order to ensure that we continue to act as a “role model for environmental leadership”, development, even for the construction of renewable power generation facilities would not be considered appropriate, if this would damage a high value site for biodiversity,” says the report.

According to the report three other sites within the county council’s rural estate are also being explored for viability for future solar farms.