Land East of Hawksworth and Northwest of Thoroton, Thoroton, Nottinghamshire, NG13 9DB

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• The effect of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the area.
• The effect on heritage assets.
• The effect on agricultural land and food production.
• Flood risk and flood policy.
• Consideration of local and national planning policy and whether the benefits of the proposal would outweigh any harm.

What decided it

The substantial weight attributable to the significant renewable energy generation, greenhouse gas reduction and energy security benefits of the solar farm outweighed the moderate landscape harm and the less-than-substantial heritage harm identified.

The substantial benefits of renewable energy generation, together with moderate biodiversity net gain and limited economic benefit, outweighed the moderate adverse effect on landscape character/visual amenity and the less-than-substantial harm (at the low end of the scale) to heritage assets.