Selsey and Sidlesham community groups set to benefit from project

At the launch of the community share offer a number of those involved spoke about the benefits of the scheme.

David Langmead, from the Langmead Group which owns the land, said: “ This will be amazing for Sidlesham and Selsey over the next 20 years.

“The land we are using isn’t ideal for farming so we wanted to do something else with it, and the appealing nature of this is that it gives back to the local community”

Ben Cooper, Selsey Town Council’s nominated representative on the Board of the Community Benefit Society, said: “There are more 150 community groups in Sidlesham and Selsey which could benefit from the scheme.”

The project will be run as a community enterprise and any profits will be distributed to local community organisations and projects through Ferry Farm Community Solar Project, a locally-governed community benefit society.

The community solar farm is projected to deliver more than £1.5 million of funding over 30 years.

Local organisations and projects will be invited to put in bids for funding to help with their own schemes, and successful requests will be chosen by the board on an annual basis.

Using 25 acres of land the 5MW site will generate enough to power the equivalent of 1,300 homes.

Ferry Farm Community Benefit Society intends to raise £630,000 for the project through social investors who are invited to invest in a community share offer in the society. People or organisations can invest between £250 and £100,000.

Those that invest could earn an intended annual return of 6 per cent with capital repaid over the scheme’s lifetime of 20 plus years.

For more information, visit www.ferryfarmsolar.co.uk

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