®Planning appeal decision
Land East of Hawksworth and Northwest of Thoroton, Thoroton, Nottinghamshire, NG13 9DB
Planning appeal 3330045 at Land East of Hawksworth and Northwest of Thoroton, Thoroton, Nottinghamshire, NG13 9DB (Rushcliffe Borough Council) was allowed on 23 October 2024 by Inspector Woolcock J, following an inquiry. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: The effect of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the area.
the installation of a renewable energy solar farm comprising ground-mounted photovoltaic solar arrays, together with substation, inverter stations, security measures, site access, internal access tracks and other ancillary infrastructure, including landscaping and biodiversity enhancements
- Authority
- Rushcliffe Borough Council
- Appeal type
- major · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Inquiry
- Development
- utilities-energy · Other Major Developments
- Inspector
- Woolcock J
- Postcode
- 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.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- LPP1 Policy 1LPP1 Policy 2LPP1 Policy 10LPP1 Policy 11LPP1 Policy 16LPP2 Policy 1LPP2 Policy 16LPP2 Policy 17LPP2 Policy 18LPP2 Policy 22LPP2 Policy 28LPP2 Policy 29LPP2 Policy 34
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 163Paragraph 168Paragraph 180Paragraph 208
- Judgments
- Mead Realisations Ltd v Secretary of State for Levelling Up Housing and Communities
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 appliedThe decision letter
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With an account
What an account adds to this decision
More decisions in Rushcliffe
The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2024
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- Dismissed11 March 2026600160392 Grantham Road, Radcliffe On Trent, Nottinghamshire, NG12 2HY
- Allowed8 April 20253352323Fosseway Service Station, Nottingham Road , Cropwell Bishop , Nottinghamshire , NG12 2JU
- Allowed19 March 2025334627945 C Clifton Road, Ruddington, NG11 6DD
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.