Common Farm Wroughton solar farm panels installed

Panels have been installed at the UK's first solar farm to be funded jointly by a borough council and investment bonds sold by the council to local people.

Common Farm at Wroughton has been paid for using £1.8m of investments from residents who bought bonds from Swindon Borough Council.

The project will pay interest in cash twice a year - at a rate of six per cent per annum.

The council has also invested £3m into the project.

When the farm is finished in a few weeks it will have more than 18,000 solar panels generating enough energy to power 1,500 homes.

Madeleine Ware reports.