Residents are being invited to invest upwards of £60 in a giant 24-acre solar farm proposed for the outskirts of Wisbech.

An application – which has cost BELECTRIC £24,000 to submit to Fenland District Council – would see a “particularly suitable” site off Begdale Road given over to the 3.5MW solar farm.

Those putting their money into the solar farm, which will provide power for 900 homes, will receive twice yearly interest payments and guaranteed repayment within five years with an option to continue their investment.

The company says the site is “an underutilised area of low-grade grazing land surrounded by drainage ditches”.

It says the 24 acres are currently unused “but informally grazed by travellers”.

BELECTRIC has outlined to Fenland planners its consultation, which included a public drop-in exhibition in June at the Rosmini Centre attended by 18 residents.

A similar exercise at The Sportsman, Elm, in August attracted 15 residents from Wales Bank and Begdale Road.

The company says it received 22 feedback forms and the response was “overall positive. Just shy of 80 per cent of the respondents supported the scheme and the use of solar power to support renewable energy targets”.

BELECTRIC has told the council it will be looking at a “rollout of community based projects”.

Those attending the exhibitions suggested a playing field in the centre of Elm and open days to see the “nature aspects for both adults and education”.

The company said a number of people had expressed concerns over security “and the site’s close proximity to a number of traveller sites; one person expressed concern about the visual impact from their property”.

The plans are expected to go before councillors in the New Year.