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Allowed25 May 20233308881

Agricultural Land to the South of Murton and North of South Hetton, SR7 9SF

Planning appeal 3308881 at Agricultural Land to the South of Murton and North of South Hetton, SR7 9SF (Durham County Council) was allowed on 25 May 2023 by Inspector Brooker M, following a hearing. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: The main issues are the landscape and visual effects of the scheme and whether there are other material considerations that would outweigh those effect.

the installation and operation of a ground mounted photovoltaic solar farm, inclusive of solar arrays, transformers, substation, landscaping, fencing, internal access tracks, access, CCTV and other associated works, for the purpose of generating and exporting renewable energy to the electricity grid network

Authority
Durham County Council
Appeal type
major · Planning Appeal
Procedure
Hearing
Development
utilities-energy · Other Major Developments
Inspector
Brooker M
Postcode
SR7 9SF

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

  • The main issues are the landscape and visual effects of the scheme and whether there are other material considerations that would outweigh those effect.

What decided it

The significant contribution to renewable energy generation and Net Zero targets, together with considerable biodiversity net gains, clearly and decisively outweighed the localised landscape and visual harm.

The imperative to tackle climate change and the very significant benefits of renewable energy generation and biodiversity net gain clearly and decisively outweighed the significant but localised landscape and visual harm identified.

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies
Policy 10Policy 33Policy 39
National Planning Policy Framework
Paragraph 174Paragraph 56

How the Inspector dealt with each one is set out in the app, in order: the development plan, national policy, housing land supply, other considerations and the planning balance, beside the letter.

See how each was applied

The decision letter

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More decisions in Durham County Council

The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2023

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The main issues, what decided it, the planning balance and the policies and judgments listed as cited are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro and are our summary, not the Inspector’s words; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.

In the app this decision sits on the map beside every appeal around it, with its letter to read and the main issues, policies and judgments cited picked out.