Ford Hall Farm Shop Near Market Drayton, Shropshire

One of Salop Energy Commercial’s most satisfying involvements in a community solar scheme was working with brother and Sister Ben and Charlotte Hollins from Ford Hall Farm, near Market Drayton, Shropshire.

The tenacious siblings defied all odds, when back in 2006 they managed to raise £800,000 needed to secure the Farm which had been in their family for over a century from developers.

Their fight to stay at Ford Hall began due to development pressures from neighbours Muller Dairy UK. The landowners wanted to sell the land which meant the Hollins family would have to leave.

The farm was saved by members of the public buying shares in a charity, which in turn buys the land and then leases it on to Charlotte and Ben.

Among those who have invested money in the project is the rock star Sting.

A huge redevelopment project costing well over £250,000 was completed at the farm in 2010.

Salop Energy Commercial participated in the project by installing a 3.36 kW Panasonic photovoltaic array; the index linked system will earn the farm an ever increasing £1,500 per annum for 25 years.

2 Years on thanks to the efforts of Charlotte and Ben, Ford Hall Farm is once again a thriving business boasting a state of the art farm shop, tea rooms, cafeteria, butchery and even an award winning bistro restaurant.