®Planning appeal decision
Land associated with Washdyke Farm to the North of Billingorough Rd, Folkingham, Lincolnshire, NG34 0EZ
installation of a solar farm comprising ground mounted solar PV panels with a generating capacity of 27 megawatts (MW), including mounting system, inverters, underground cabling, stock proof fencing, CCTV, internal access tracks and associated infrastructure, landscaping and environmental enhancements for a temporary period of 40 years
- Authority
- South Kesteven District Council
- Appeal type
- major · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Hearing
- Development
- utilities-energy · Other Major Developments
- Inspector
- Jordan A
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether the proposal would lead to an unacceptable loss of best and most versatile agricultural land (BMV)
- The effects of the proposal on the setting of heritage assets, in particular the site of the Anglo Saxon Nunnery and Medieval Chapel at Stow Green which is a Scheduled Monument
- The visual effects of the proposal, in particular the effects of the proposal on users of public right of way PRoW Thre/2/1 and the character and appearance of the area
- The effects of the proposal on protected species, in particular its effects on breeding habitat for ground nesting birds
- Whether the proposal would conflict with the requirements of Local Plan policy in relation to a demonstration of public support for Solar PV proposals
What decided it
The substantial weight given to the renewable energy benefit of the scheme outweighed the limited and moderate harms identified to agricultural land and rural character.
the identified harm arising from the development would, on balance, be outweighed by the benefits of the scheme, rendering the scheme sustainable when assessed against the Framework as a whole
Plan policies cited: Policy SP1, Policy RE1, Policy DE1, Policy EN1, Policy EN2, Policy EN3, Policy EN6
Judgments cited: Lullington Solar Park Ltd – High Court Decision – [2004] EWHC 295 (Admin) AC-2023-LON-002550
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.