Plans have been drawn up for two new solar farms in North Somerset to power the district’s water recycling works.

Wessex Water plans to use two fields next to Weston-super-Mare Water Recycling Centre into ground mounted solar arrays, along with one field next to its water recycling centre near Kingston Seymour.

The main purpose of the solar farms will be to power the water recycling works themselves, rather than to sell the power to the national grid, but they will have a grid connection for when more power is generated than needed.

In letters submitted to North Somerset Council with the plans, Wessex Water’s environment and planning advisor Gemma Pyke said: “Wessex Water has a commitment, along with the wider water industry, to achieve net zero operational carbon emissions by 2030.”

She added: “Although the final design is yet to be determined, the system and its components will be designed and constructed in a manner to minimise their landscape and visual impact.”

The plans are currently in the pre-application stage, with the water company only sending its plans to the council to determine what environmental information would be needed as part of a planning application.

Weston-super-Mare Water Recycling Centre is located south of the town and near to Bleadon, on the River Axe.