An ambitious bid first approved by Cotswold planners three years ago for a 179-acre utility solar farm on the Bathurst Estate land near Cirencester has moved a step closer to reality with the completion of archaeological research required before the project gets final clearance.

In a report from Swindon-based Foundations Archaeology planners have been told that evidence of Prehistoric and Roman activity on the land was found, with results that showed "the remains of a potentially well-appointed Roman building" as well as two areas of Roman activity.

On the report's conclusions, George Wilyman, planning manager for Bristol-based Aura Power, who are seeking to build the solar farm on the Bathurst Estate farmland, has asked Cotswold District Council to approve the construction - which will adopt a "no-dig" approach - "without delay".

In all, 101 trenches were dug throughout the 600,000 sqm area, which straddles the Gloucestershire-Wiltshire border and which will cover seven fields immediately south of Cotswold Airport and close to the village of Kemble.

With a combined weight of more than 10kg, a total of 916 artefacts were discovered, including Mesolithic flint pieces, bone and shards of Roman pottery. Evidence of Iron Age activity (from 800BC to 43AD) was also unearthed, as well as a quarry pit from Medieval times. Post-Roman evidence suggested the site was used for agriculture, but with little evidence of later activity. The report also noted an Anglo Saxon cemetery some half a kilometre from the site.

Aura Power builds utility-scale solar sites both in the UK and globally and initially. It gained outline permission for this project in 2021 from both CDC and Wiltshire Council, with the plan including  49.9MW of energy output as a bid in partnership with the Bathurst Estate. Details also show that just under five miles of connecting cable will be needed to connect  energy flow to the national grid.

Construction of the site was earmarked to start in 2023, the company initially told local residents, and includes "a comprehensive landscaping scheme to generate a biodiversity net gain of 35% from the development of the solar farm." Sheep grazing is also planned as part of the final use of the site.

Simon Coulson, director of Aura Power, said: "In partnership with the Estate we consulted extensively with the nearest residents and local community, which resulted in the relocation of a number of panels, a robust landscaping plan for enhanced screening, and, mitigation measures to alleviate existing flooding".

A Community Benefit Fund of £17,500 per year has also been included within the development of the solar farm, covering its 40 year lifespan.

Kemble Solar Farm will join a site portfolio from Aura Power which includes a 30MW solar farm at Bishampton in Worcestershire and a 49.9MW Litchardon Cross site near Barnstaple, North Devon.

In 2020, a joint statement from Aura power and the Bathurst Estate told Kemble and Ewen Parish Council that this project will generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of 14,447 homes and will save approximately 20,389 tonnes of CO2 each year.

It will also contribute nearly £100,000 in business rates to Cotswold District Council and Wiltshire Council every year, while a community benefit fund will be offered to support projects bringing educational, social and environmental benefits to the local community.

The bid has also pointed out that in June 2019 the UK government declared a legally binding target of Net Zero emissions by 2050, with Cotswold District Council and Wiltshire Council both subsequently declaring climate emergencies.

Aura Power, which currently lists 22 UK active projects, added it was "committed to helping reach these targets. As we emerge from this unprecedented global health crisis, the Government has pledged to 'build back greener and better'. There is a clear imperative to think global and act local and we hope that Kemble solar farm can be a part of this."

Details of the project will include a substation compound, housing for inverters, transformers, fencing, security cameras and new access tracks.

● An updated public statement from Aura Power on the state of play for the project said: "Construction was originally anticipated to commence towards the end of 2023, however it is now anticipated for works on the cable route to begin later this year and construction on the main solar site to commence in the Spring 2025.