Planning permission for the construction of a 49.9 MW solar farm on land at Southwell, Nottinghamshire has been granted on appeal.
Pegasus Group provided expert landscape, heritage and planning witness on behalf of clients JBM Solar Projects 6 Limited at the public inquiry into Newark & Sherwood District Council’s refusal of the application.
In allowing the appeal, the Inspector quoted 18th Century French soldier and politician Francois de Charette: “…you cannot make an omelette without breaking a few eggs.”
The scheme is for a 49.9 MW solar farm on a site of approximately 100ha north of Halloughton, and is set to provide a reduction of around 20,690t of CO2 and meet the energy needs of at least 12,000 homes.
Pegasus Group executive director Paul Burrell said: “This is an excellent result for our client JBM Solar Projects 6 Limited, and a real Pegasus Group team effort.
“We provided landscape, heritage and planning witness as well as full appeal project management. And as a jointly resourced office project, with our Cirencester office leading on planning and landscape while colleagues from the Leeds office led on heritage, it demonstrates how we effectively pool resources in order to provide a winning service.”
Mr Burrell said that in his report the Inspector had made some interesting observations on agricultural land and the temporary loss of food production and food security, with weight to be given to the temporary nature of the development, albeit the 40 years sought would be longer than a generation.
He said that the Inspector concluded, in terms of the planning balance, that while there would be some localised harm to landscape character and some visual harm in conflict with the relevant development plan policies, the imperative to tackle climate change as recognised in legislation and energy policy, and the significant benefits of the scheme, clearly and decisively outweighed the limited harm.
Likewise, in terms of heritage, while recognising the great weight required to be attached to the conservation of a Heritage Assets, he considered that the imperative to tackle climate change, as recognised in legislation and energy policy, and the benefits of the scheme, clearly and decisively outweighed the temporary and less than substantial harm to the Heritage Assets involved.
Mr Burrell said: “My view is that this is therefore a decision which shows the strength and weight that is presently being afforded to addressing climate change as a material consideration.”
In allowing the appeal, permission is granted for the construction of solar farm and battery stations together with all associated works, equipment, and necessary infrastructure.
