Plans have been revealed for a new solar farm covering 152 acres - the size of 115 football pitches - in a village.

Industria Solar Vigo Ltd submitted its proposals to Swale council on May 3 for panels on either side of Vigo Lane and Wrens Road in Borden, near Sittingbourne.

The farmland would host rows of solar panels, as well as a control building, switch room, a substation and a temporary compound to store building materials and equipment.

A statement by Wardell Armstrong LLP, submitted on behalf of the applicant, says the finished farm would be operational for 40 years and produce enough electricity to power 11,550 homes a year. It would also offset 8,152 tonnes of CO2 per year.

“The construction period is anticipated to last approximately five months,” it adds.

Industria Solar Vigo Ltd is a branch of Industria Brand Energy Ltd, which leases land from farmers and landowners and uses it for renewable energy production.

The company says it has delivered 500MW of solar farms around the UK.

“The solar energy is either transferred directly to the national grid or sent directly to some of the UK’s largest companies,” it added.

“In the past 24 months, their energy portfolio has produced enough energy to power 140,000 homes, saving 500,000 tonnes of CO2.”

Industria has a further one gigawatt of projects “in the pipeline” and “is contributing to the fight against climate change, helping the UK meet its 2050 net zero target,” it adds.

People living within 750m of the site were consulted by the applicant, covering 355 addresses.

It also set up a website which received 53 comments from 22 respondents, and held a drop-in event on April 4, attended by 34 people.

In documents sent to Swale council it tells of residents’ “hopes” for the project, including “cheaper electricity for residents” and “local employment opportunities”.

Others were less positive about the scheme, telling the developers they hope “that it goes away”, “that the countryside is not ruined by the proposal”, and “that you will reconsider where the solar site is proposed”.

Industria says the solar farm would “help to improve energy security and provide cheaper electricity to all local residents (assuming the government succeeds at decoupling green energy from wholesale gas prices),” and create job opportunities.

A decision on the plans is expected by August 4.