A ‘state-of-the-art’ solar farm and new hydro-electric schemes in the River Irwell will soon power 638 homes.

A total of 5,094 solar panels are planned for a plot of coarse grassland west of Kenyon Way in Little Hulton, with work set to start on site by summer 2021.

The work will take approximately five months to complete, after which the solar farm is expected to generate enough electricity for 438 homes a year.

Salford Council has also put forward plans for a hydro-electric installation at Charlestown Weir which could deliver enough electricity to power 200 homes.

The local authority will spend £2m on the schemes, with the remaining £1.7m coming from EU grants for Greater Manchester’s Unlocking Clean Energy bid.

Lead councillor for planning and sustainable development, Derek Antrobus, revealed that Salford has won the lion’s share of investment in the region.

He said: “I think it’s a great leap forward in the way we can use our land assets to generate clean electricity.

“This will make a significant contribution, not only to Salford’s desire to become carbon neutral, but also Greater Manchester’s desire to become carbon neutral.”

Speaking at a procurement board meeting on Monday, Coun Antrobus said concerns from the local community in Little Hulton had been ‘overcome’.

Cycleways between the Kenyon estate and Cutacre Country Park will be enhanced as part of the solar power scheme, according to Coun Antrobus.

Over the past 10 years, the council has invested £126m in green spaces, creating new country parks and walking and cycle pathways across the city.

It has also planted thousands of trees, with plans for more, and invested in environmental infrastructure projects like the Castle Irwell flood basin.

Coun Antrobus said Salford is ‘well ahead of the game’ in Greater Manchester.

He added: “Anything we do is also for the benefit of Greater Manchester as a whole. We shouldn’t see it necessarily as a competition which we win, everyone wins when these major environmental developments go ahead.”

Salford City Mayor Paul Dennett made the formal decision on Monday to partner with Energy Systems Catapult on the renewable energy schemes.

He said: “We are passionate about the environment and proactively looking at opportunities to help us achieve our long-term vision which includes to be carbon neutral by 2038.

“We take our responsibilities seriously and must do all we can to protect the planet for future generations.

“The environmental crisis is the most acute threat facing humanity in the modern world.

“We must take radical action to mitigate the impact of climate change and Salford City Council is leading the way.”