Wrigley Head solar panels will be plugged into national grid
Plans to build a solar farm with 2,700 panels at Wrigley Head in Failsworth are progressing but face delays due to unresolved issues like cabling routes and substation location. The project, aimed at reducing CO2 emissions and energy costs, is now expected to be completed by autumn 2025.
Solar Farm at Wrigley Head Set for Autumn Completion After Years of Delays
Construction on a 2,700-panel solar farm at Wrigley Head in Failsworth could finally be completed by autumn 2025, following years of setbacks that have plagued the ambitious green energy project. The 3.5-acre derelict plot, situated between the Metrolink and Rochdale Canal, will house the council-owned installation designed to reduce the borough’s carbon footprint and cut energy costs.
The solar panels, which will connect to the national grid, could help power the Spindles shopping centre according to council reports. However, the project continues to face challenges including late design changes to underground cabling routes and substation placement, with the electrical infrastructure now being repositioned closer to the Metrolink line.
“A number of issues remain to be resolved before the solar farm can progress to construction phase,” wrote Andrew Hunt, Oldham Council’s sustainability manager, in a recent progress report. “It is hoped that the solar farm will be complete by autumn 2025.”
While some preliminary site works have begun and planning conditions discharged, a new feasibility study is underway to determine final costs. Initial estimates from 2023 put construction at £1.35 million, funded through the council’s capital spending budget. First conceived in 2018, the project was shelved during the pandemic before being resurrected and approved in 2021, with projections suggesting it will reduce CO2 emissions by 50 tonnes annually and generate savings on council energy bills.
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