Plans for a solar farm on land next to a cemetery are set to move forward. Newcastle Borough Council wants to install solar panels on an 8.9 hectare field next to Keele Cemetery, in order to generate renewable electricity for sale and help the area become carbon neutral by 2050.

Cabinet members are now expected to approve a business case for the scheme, allowing a planning application to be drawn up and submitted. The solar farm – which would be the equivalent of 13 football pitches in size – will occupy land previously earmarked for the expansion of the cemetery.

But the land is not expected to be needed for burials until the end of the solar farm's 25-year lifespan. The report to cabinet does not say how much the solar farm would cost to build, but it states that loan funding from the Public Works Loan Board can be used for energy generation projects.

The solar farm, off the A525, would help the area become carbon neutral by 2050 (Google).

Once the solar farm is up and running, the electricity would be sold on a commercial basis, and 'informal discussions' have taken place with potential end users. But the report says that the project will aim to advance the council's climate change priorities and 'is not primarily to generate an income'.

Council leader Simon Tagg says the scheme will help the authority achieve its environmental targets. He said: "This council is committed to being carbon neutral by 2030 and supporting the wider community to be carbon neutral by 2050. By investing now to generate a secure supply of clean energy we can sell it at a market rate to local businesses and help them meet their environmental obligations."

Councillor David Hutchison, cabinet member for sustainable environment, added: "The borough council only contributes a small amount to the overall volume of carbon emissions across the area, but we can set an example and show what can be achieved.

Specialists from Keele University are expected to provide support for the project (LDRS).

"No-one can solve this problem in isolation and by pursuing clean energy at Keele, which can be accessed by local businesses, we can help our community take a notable step in the right direction."

Specialists from Keele University are expected to provide support for the project as the plans are prepared. Two years ago the university launched its own low carbon energy park, featuring 12,500 solar panels along with two wind turbines.

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