®Planning appeal decision
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
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
Framework references: 11, 55, 56, 158, 174, 175
Plan policies cited: Saved Policy CL11, Policy CL2, Policy CS5, Policy CS 3
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.