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14
May
Banking giant bids for almost 800 solar panels at Harrogate offices
Mastercard has applied to North Yorkshire Council to erect 779 solar panels at offices in Cardale Park in Harrogate.
The company owns payment systems provider Vocalink which has a base at the business park off Otley Road.
The building houses Mastercard’s Harrogate data centre, which the company said in planning documents processes data for companies in the financial services sector.
The nature of its operations means that it is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
In the planning application, the firm said solar-powered green energy could generate around 25% of all the electricity used on the site if approved.
The solar panels would be placed adjacent to the offices and the council had asked that a ‘glint and glare’ assessment be provided to assess the potential impact on the surroundings.
This report concluded that throughout the year, car drivers at Cardale Park and nearby residents would be subjected to “minor to moderate” distressful conditions from the solar panels.
It said the glare can be avoided with the help of mitigation measures including planting hedgerows.
A design and access statement attached to the application said:
North Yorkshire Council will decide on the plans at a later date.
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