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Allowed29 August 20233319970

Land To The South Of Church Farm, Somersham, IP8 4PN, And Land To The East Of The Channel, Burstall, IP8 4JL In Suffolk, Burstall Hill, IP8 4LJ

Planning appeal 3319970 at Land To The South Of Church Farm, Somersham, IP8 4PN, And Land To The East Of The Channel, Burstall, IP8 4JL In Suffolk, Burstall Hill, IP8 4LJ (Mid Suffolk District Council) was allowed on 29 August 2023 by Inspector Parker C, following an inquiry. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: The effect of the proposal on the economic and other benefits of the best and most versatile agricultural land.

Installation of renewable energy generating station, comprising ground-mounted photovoltaic solar arrays and battery-based electricity storage containers together with substation, inverter/transformer stations, site accesses, internal access tracks, security measures, access gates, other ancillary infrastructure, landscaping and biodiversity enhancements including Nature Areas

Authority
Mid Suffolk District Council
Appeal type
major · Planning Appeal
Procedure
Inquiry
Development
utilities-energy · Other Major Developments
Inspector
Parker C

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

  • The effect of the proposal on the economic and other benefits of the best and most versatile agricultural land
  • The effect of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the countryside, including on the Special Landscape Area and users of nearby Public Rights of Way
  • The effect of the proposal on heritage assets, including archaeology
  • Whether benefits presented in support of the scheme outweigh any harms identified, and the overall planning balance

What decided it

The extremely limited and time-limited harm to landscape, visual amenity, character and appearance was clearly outweighed by the benefits of renewable energy generation, economic benefits and biodiversity gains.

the positive weight attaching to the benefits of the proposal (renewable energy, economic benefits, biodiversity gains and soil improvement) clearly outweighed the extremely limited harm to landscape, visual impacts, character and appearance, and the proposal accords with the development plan as a whole

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies
Saved Policy CL11Policy CL2Policy CS5Policy CS 3
National Planning Policy Framework
Paragraph 11Paragraph 55Paragraph 56Paragraph 158Paragraph 174Paragraph 175

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.

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The decision letter

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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.