Planning appeal decision
Land at Knapthorpe Lodge, Hockerton Road, Caunton, NG23 6BA
Planning appeal 3344502 at Land at Knapthorpe Lodge, Hockerton Road, Caunton, NG23 6BA (Newark & Sherwood District Council) was allowed on 15 May 2025 by Inspector Kean G, following a hearing. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: the loss of best and most versatile agricultural land.
Construction of a solar farm, access and all associated works, equipment and necessary infrastructure. This
- Authority
- Newark & Sherwood District Council
- Appeal type
- major · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Hearing
- Development
- utilities-energy · Other Major Developments
- Inspector
- Kean G
- Postcode
- NG23 6AZ
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- the loss of best and most versatile agricultural land
- character and appearance including local landscape character
- whether the environmental and economic benefits of the proposal outweigh any harm identified
What decided it
The substantial weight attached to the renewable energy benefits of the scheme, combined with significant biodiversity net gain, outweighed the limited and temporary harms to agricultural land and landscape character.
the benefits of the proposed development outweigh the temporary harm identified through reduction in agricultural productivity, small loss of BMV land and adverse effects on landscape character and visual appearance
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- ACS Core Policy 10DPD Policy DM4ACS Policy CP10DPD Policy DM8Spatial Policy 7ACS Core Policy 9
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
Town Planner Pro holds this letter. The Appeals plan opens it and every other letter we hold, all of them searchable, with the main issues and what decided each case picked out. We do not show letters on the free site because they carry people’s names and addresses.
With an account
What an account adds to this decision


More decisions in Newark and Sherwood
The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2025
- Notice upheld20 April 20263363851Land at Highfields, Gonalston Lane, Epperstone, Nottingham, NG14 6AZ
- Allowed14 January 20266001425Land off St Michael's Close, Halam, Southwell, Notts, NG22 8AR
- Allowed4 December 20253364181Land North of Main Road, Kelham, Nottinghamshire, NG23 5QY
- Allowed7 November 20253368293Flaggs Farm, Caunton Road, Norwell, Nottinghamshire, NG23 6LB
- Allowed15 May 20253344500Field Reference 2227, Hockerton Road, Caunton, NG23 6BA
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.
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