Reference Barkham Solar Farm

1. What was the Capital spend agreed in Sept 2021
In September 2021, the Council approved the Capital expenditure of £20,283,000 funded from borrowing; and in addition approved delegation of decisions around the final extent and configuration of the Solar farm to the Deputy Chief Executive (S151 Finance Officer) in conjunction with the Lead Member for Resident Services, Communications and Emissions where scheme amendments will not result in the average annual net income after capital financing costs falling below £200k.
See report at: https://wokingham.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s50065/Proposed%20Solar%20Farm%20-%20Barkham%20report.pdf

2. In which years was the Capital spend incurred as agreed in Sept 2021
The September 2021 report forecast capital expenditure across 2021/22, 2022/23 and 2023/24.

3. What was the Annual Operating expense agreed in Sept 2021
The 2021 business case forecasted £14.42m total running costs over 25 years (equivalent to ~£576k per year on average)

4. What was the effective operating period (number of years) agree in Sept 2021
The business case was based on a 25 year operational period

5. What was the Annual finance costs agreed in sept 2021
Interest costs over 25 years were forecasted at £12.68m

6. What period is the finance costs spread over as agreed in Sept 2021
Repayments (MRP) and interest were modelled over 25 years

7. What was the planned project start date as agreed in Sept 2021
The Council report of September 2021 indicates that construction was anticipated to start following grant of planning permission – which at the time of reporting was expected late September 2021.

8. What was the Annual income agreed in sept 2021
The net income across the 25 years was forecasted as £11.99m

9. What was the planned income start date as agreed in Sept 2021
The September 2021 documents did not specify any income start date. There is no stated energisation or revenue commencement date.

10. How much Council Officers time is factored into the business case as agreed in Sept 2021
£100,000 was included for professional fees, which covered officer related costs.

Important clarification that applies to all following answers
No decisions were taken in October 2025, and the Overview & Scrutiny Committee (O&S) (11 November 2025) is not a decision making body. As set out in the O&S report, at the time the Council was still in commercial and pricing discussions with the contractor and the Council was still awaiting a formal SSEN variation (revised connection costs and confirmation).
The O&S report was for information only and the latest version of the business case was commercially sensitive so sat in Part 2 (confidential). The detailed business case for the solar farm, and the detailed information contained therein, is exempt from disclosure under Schedule 12A, Paragraph 3 of the Local Government Act 1972 (commercial confidential information).
The project continues to operate under the delegated authority granted by Full Council in September 2021, which permits the S151 Officer (with Members) to approve decisions provided the business case continues to show at least £200k net income per year.

11. What was the Capital spend agreed in Oct 2025
No capital spend was agreed in October 2025.

12. In which years was the Capital spend incurred as agreed in Oct 2025
None. No capital spend profile was agreed in October 2025.

13. What was the Annual Operating expense agreed in Oct 2025
No operating expense agreement was made.
The business case updates were contained in Part 2 (confidential) and presented for scrutiny only, not approval.

14. What was the effective operating period (number of years) agree in Oct 2025
The O&S report notes that the business case had been modelled over 40 years, but O&S cannot approve a business case, and no approval was sought.

15. What was the Annual finance costs agreed in Oct 2025
None. No finance cost was approved.

16. What period is the finance costs spread over as agreed in Oct 2025
No finance cost period was agreed in October 2025, because the Overview & Scrutiny Committee is not a decision making body, and no approvals were sought or made at that committee meeting in November 2025.
However, for context only (not an approval), the O&S report explains that the updated business case modelling had been extended from 25 years to 40 years, reflecting industry norms and modern solar farm lifespans.

17. What was the planned project start date as agreed in Oct 2025
No start date was agreed, but the November O&S update report indicated a planned start date of April 2026.

18. What was the Annual income agreed in Oct 2025
Detailed income forecasts in the updated business case are commercially sensitive and were contained in Part 2 (confidential) of the O&S reporting papers. The Part 1 O&S paper however does report that the business case model forecasts an average surplus per year after financing costs in excess of £1m over the 40 year operational life of the solar farm.

19. What was the planned income start date as agreed in Oct 2025
The O&S paper noted targeted energisation in spring 2027, but this was a working assumption, not an agreed or approved date.

20. How much Council Officers time is factored into the business case as agreed in Oct 2025
No officer time allocation was agreed in October 2025. The Overview & Scrutiny Committee considered an update report only and is not a decision making body.

The business case presented to Members at that meeting included a more comprehensive and realistic assessment of project costs than the 2021 business case - including officer time, technical advisor costs and other professional fees - but these figures sit within the Part 2 (confidential) business case. This information is exempt from disclosure under:
• Schedule 12A, Paragraph 3 of the Local Government Act 1972 (information relating to the financial or business affairs of the authority), and
• Section 43(2) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, as disclosure would be likely to prejudice the Council’s commercial interests during ongoing procurement and grid connection negotiations.