Land at Woodlands Farm, Stowmarket Road, Badley, Suffolk, IP24 2AH

Planning appeal 3345132 at Land at Woodlands Farm, Stowmarket Road, Badley, Suffolk, IP24 2AH (Mid Suffolk District Council) was allowed on 7 January 2025 by Inspector Woolcock J, following an inquiry. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: The main issues in this appeal are the effects of the proposed development on heritage assets, the planning balance and the application of relevant local and national policy.

the installation of a solar photovoltaic (‘PV’) array/solar farm with associated infrastructure

Authority: Mid Suffolk District Council
Appeal type: major · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Inquiry
Development: utilities-energy · Other Major Developments
Inspector: Woolcock J
Postcode: IP24 2AH

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

The main issues in this appeal are the effects of the proposed development on heritage assets, the planning balance and the application of relevant local and national policy.

What decided it

The significant weight given to the renewable energy benefits of the scheme, together with biodiversity, soil and socio-economic benefits, outweighed the less than substantial heritage harm identified.

The less than substantial harm to designated heritage assets was outweighed by the public benefits of renewable energy generation (significant weight) together with biodiversity, soil management and socio-economic benefits (moderate weight), so the planning balance fell in favour of the proposal.

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies: Policy LP25Policy LP17Policy LP24Policy LP16Policy LP19Policy SP09Policy SP03
National Planning Policy Framework: Paragraph 11Paragraph 163Paragraph 168Paragraph 187Paragraph 212Paragraph 215

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 applied

The decision letter

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More decisions in Mid Suffolk District Council

The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2025

Dismissed8 September 20266010228
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Dismissed16 June 20266006315
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Notice upheld12 March 20263357418
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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.