24/5630
A 10 Year planning permission for a solar farm with a total area of circa 179 hectares. The solar farm will consist of solar panels on ground mounted frames, 25no. single storey electrical inverter/transformer stations, 3 no. single storey spare parts containers, 3 no. Ring Main Units, 7 no. weather stations, underground electrical ducting and cabling within the development site, private lands and within the L7691 and L7692 public roads to connect solar farm field parcels, security fencing, CCTV, access tracks, 7 no. stream/drain deck crossings, temporary construction compounds, landscaping and all associated ancillary development and drainage works. Construction and operational access will be 4 no. entrances from the R626, L7691 and L7692. The operational lifespan of the solar farm will be 40 years and planning permission is requested for this duration. A Natura Impact Statement (NIS) has been prepared and will be submitted to the planning authority with the application.
Core Refusal Reason
The proposal was refused due to its excessive scale and visual impact on the rural landscape, the absence of mandatory archaeological assessments, and insufficient evidence regarding hydrological impacts and flood risk.
Decision Maker's Conclusion
- The solar farm's scale and lack of adequate screening would create a visually incongruous and overbearing feature, detrimental to rural amenities and in material contravention of landscape policy GI 14-9.
- The failure to provide a comprehensive Archaeological Impact Assessment, including geophysical surveys and testing, means the protection of potential archaeological heritage cannot be guaranteed.
- The absence of baseline and proposed greenfield runoff data prevents a determination that the development would not increase flood risk or negatively impact the local hydrological regime.