Plans are in the works for a solar farm the size of 78 football pitches on farmland near a Kent village.

Green energy firm Renewable Connections Ltd has announced it is “investigating the potential for a solar farm” and energy storage facility on fields north of Tyler Hill, near Canterbury.

Proposed for eight agricultural fields near the village, the site could cover 56 hectares of land.

Britton Court Solar Farm’s webpage says it would produce 38 Megawatts (MW) of power, equivalent to the “annual energy needs of up to 15,164 homes”.

Solar farms of 50MW or more are treated as “Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects”, and permission must be given by central government, rather than local authorities.

The plans for Britton Court also include a 30MW battery storage facility - used to store up power generated by the solar farm.

Battery storage units have been controversial due to fears they could catch fire.

In February, Swale Borough Council’s planning committee voted down the battery safety management plan for the 150MW storage facility at Cleve Hill solar farm, near Graveney, one of the UK’s largest.

Swale councillors and residents cited safety concerns about fire management at the site.

But the developers appealed and, in July, the government planning inspectorate ruled the authority had voted wrongly, and awarded damages which will cost the authority thousands.

Renewable Connections’ website says: “Our plans are still in the development stages, so our design proposals will evolve as we gather local input and consider the results of our environmental assessments.”

A formal planning application has not been submitted yet.

A public exhibition of the plans is being held on Tuesday October 8 from 3pm to 7pm at St Stephens Community Centre, Tenterden Drive, Canterbury.

Renewable Connections Ltd. is also behind the Mathurst Solar Farm - a proposed 18MW solar farm between Staplehurst and Tunbridge Wells.

The planning application for the Mathurst site went to Maidstone Borough Council in July this year and is still pending a decision.

Phil Hale, Chief Operating Officer at Renewable Connections said: “We believe the proposed Britton Court Solar Farm is located on a favourable site, given its natural screening, ideal topography, and proximity to local grid infrastructure at Herne Bay.”

“If consented the solar farm has the potential to make a meaningful contribution to the energy needs of Kent and the UK by delivering green energy to up to 15,000 homes annually.

He added: “Solar is a very passive technology and one of the cleanest, cheapest forms of energy available.”

The site is planned to be operational for up to 40 years, after which it will be removed.

Cllr Steph Jupe (Lib Dem), who represents the area on the City council, said: “I’m minded to think positively of this scheme.

“Solar energy is clean, we need more clean power.

“The benefits for wildlife around the panels are there.

“The land can continue to be used for arable farming and the soil will be rich once the panels have completed their lifecycle.

“The concerns that may crop up are the storage of power and I will be listening closely to the concerns and to the developer to see if these can be addressed.”

A spokesperson for the firm said they intend to put in a planning application in winter this year, meaning if approved and all goes to plan, construction could start in late 2025, and the farm be running in 2026.