Scarthin Books Of Cromford, Scarthin, Cromford, MATLOCK, DE4 3QF

installation of eight all-black solar panels on the south facing roof of the bookshop

Authority: Derbyshire Dales District Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: utilities-energy · Other minor developments
Inspector: Raygen Z

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

the effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the appeal building and the area having particular regard to the Cromford Conservation Area and the setting of the grade II listed war memorial
whether the development would safeguard the Outstanding Universal Value of the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site

What decided it

The public benefits of renewable energy generation, while significant, do not outweigh the less than substantial but considerable harm to the heritage significance of the conservation area, world heritage site, and listed building setting.

Framework references: 202

Plan policies cited: PD1, PD2, PD7

Read the decision letter on the Inspectorate’s site

The main issues and the deciding factor are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.

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What an account adds

Draw a red line around your site and the appraisal follows.
- Heritage. Listed buildings by grade and distance, conservation areas, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, heritage at risk.
- Landscape and environment. Green belt, national parks and national landscapes, SSSIs, ancient woodland, SPA, SAC and Ramsar sites, nutrient catchments.
- Flooding. Flood zones 2 and 3, surface water, and both again with climate change.
- Transport. The 800 metre station catchment and service frequency, bus stops with their weekday frequency, the cycle network, and the Framework’s transport tests measured for the site.
Then the development plan position, the housing land supply as an Inspector last accepted it, and every appeal decided around the site with its letter.
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