Watch more of our videos on Shots!
and live on Freeview channel 276

Wakefield Council revealed it was looking to build two new farms in Ossett and South Kirkby at the end of last year, in a bid to slash its carbon footprint.

The council is yet to reveal exactly where they're looking to set up the farms, but said on Monday both sites could be fully functioning by 2023.

The scheme is expected to cost around £40m, although the local authority hopes to recoup much of that from selling off the surplus energy the farms are expected to generate from its solar panels.

If planning permission is given, the farms could be up and running within a year, Mr Blenkinsop said.

An extensive consultation with residents living near the sites is likely to take place soon.

Speaking at a scrutiny meeting on Monday, the council's environmental health manager, Gary Blenkinsop, said: "There's a long way to go (on the project).

"There's planning permission, there's procurement and there's a consultation with residents as well.

"We also need to keep in mind that our current electricity contract with Npower runs up to 2023, so we wouldn't be able to switch our energy supply until after that period."

The idea was revealed at the end of last year, but the council is yet to say where exactly the farms would be set up.

The council says the farms would be "crucial" to delivering on its pledge to become carbon neutral by 2030, having said previously it will struggle to achieve the target without the scheme.

The meeting was told that the council currently emits 35,000 tonnes of carbon emissions, every year.

Mr Blenkinsop said this was the equivalent of Wembley Stadium being filled with greenhouse gases five times over.

When it was suggested by one local councillor that the farms could take up to 10 years to build, he said: "In terms of the timescales it's not actually that long.

"The bigger piece of work will be around planning permission and the community engagement side of things.

"But in terms of constructing the farms, that can be done in 12 months quite easily.

"So if we start now, they can be up and running by the time our electricity contract comes to an end in 2023."

It's believed the farms could help wipe out most of the council's emissions within 18 months of them being set up.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

£40m solar energy farms for Ossett and South Kirkby could be running by 2023