Benbole Energy Farm, between St Kew and St Mabyn near Bodmin in North Cornwall, has been granted permission by Cornwall councillors following an application to develop the 10-acre site.

It means the farm will provide up to 800 homes with green energy. Renewable energy consultants Silicon Valley Limited, who successfully applied for planning permission, say construction work will begin in January.

It is hoped that, by April, the site will begin generating electricity making Benbole the first of the UK's next generation of solar farms.

The company's technical director, Abe Cambridge, said: "A huge effort has gone into the design and planning of the Benbole site.

"We are setting a bench mark for others to follow and wanted to ensure we use the best technology available for the UK market and establish the highest possible development standards."

Benbole is one of a number of solar projects earmarked for Cornwall, and designed to make the Westcountry a leader in green technology. Cornwall Council last year announced plans for two large-scale solar parks, the first to be built on land near Newquay Cornwall Airport. Planning applications for both are expected to be submitted in the new year.

By that time, the Benbole project could already be operational, generating 1.8megawatts of electricity. Project organisers say the local community will not only benefit through the creation of new jobs but also through a Silicon Vineyards community scheme which allows local residents to tap into free domestic solar panels and other green energy projects.

The site at Benbole was specially chosen because it sits away from urban and conservation areas. The visual impact of the solar farm will be kept to a minimum because its 800 solar panels will be mounted no higher than 2.5 metres (8ft) from the ground. The entire site will be enclosed within a traditional Cornish high hedge built by Silicon Vineyard's in-house hedger.

Silicon Vineyard is planning a further 14 solar energy farms across Cornwall and the UK as part of a £45 million investment. It was formed by Truro-based renewables specialist Renewable Energy Consortium and the University of Exeter College Enterprises.

thisiscornwall.co.uk