Planning permission is being sought for a brand new solar farm development on farmland in Leeds.

An array of 32,000 solar panels have been proposed for Haigh Hall Farm near West Ardsley, with the Leeds City Council set to look over the plans.

Spanning an area of 13.5 hectares, the panels will be floor mounted and will be in operation for 25 years. The amount of energy generated has the potential to power up to 2,000 homes.

The proposals have already drawn some opposition from local residents, as complaints have suggested that the solar farm could cause "glare and obtrusiveness" to nearby homes.

However, Phil Taylor, managing director of the firm delivering the panels, told the Yorkshire Post that "several thousand" trees would be planted in order to obscure the view of the panels from local residents.

The solar panels could be a huge benefit to the local community, not only in regards to cutting carbon emissions and the reliance of fossil fuels, but it could also help a number of residents in the area to reduce the cost of their annual energy bills.

Furthermore, the panels will have no effect on local wildlife, as animals will still be able to graze on the farmland underneath the panels. The site is also expected to feature a 'wildlife corridor' in order to improve links between Haigh Hall Spring Wood and the Hey Beck area.

If approved, the project will be the first major solar farm in Yorkshire.

A number of communities are looking into the possibility of solar panels on available local land, in order to help reduce the number of carbon emissions reduced in the local area.

These developments could also help remove local homeowners from the threat of fuel poverty, by providing clean, green and sustainable energy to properties at little or no cost.

With more and more people looking to reduce their reliance on energy from the National Grid, projects like the one proposed in Leeds could be crucial in order to achieve this.