®Planning appeal decision
Land to south of Birmingham Road, Kenilworth, Warwick and Land at Meer End, Solihull
the construction, operation and subsequent decommissioning of a renewable energy park comprising ground mounted Solar Photovoltaics (PV) with co-located Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) at the point of connection, together with associated infrastructure, access, landscaping and cabling
- Authority
- Warwick District Council
- Appeal type
- major · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Hearing
- Development
- utilities-energy · Other Major Developments
- Inspector
- Major P
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether the proposed development would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt, and if so what effect on openness would result, and whether there are any other considerations which clearly outweigh the harm by inappropriateness, and any other harm, such that very special circumstances exist to justify the development
What decided it
The substantial national and local need for renewable energy and battery storage, together with an available grid connection, clearly outweighed the substantial Green Belt harm from inappropriateness and loss of openness, amounting to very special circumstances.
The substantial harm from inappropriate development and loss of openness, together with moderate, time-limited landscape harm, was clearly outweighed by the substantial and significant benefits of renewable energy generation and storage, climate change mitigation, grid connection availability, biodiversity gains and economic benefits, amounting to very special circumstances justifying the grant of permission.
Framework references: 143, 155, 160, 110, 115
Plan policies cited: Policy P17, Policy DS18, Policy P10, Policy BE2, Policy BE4, Policy NE4, Policy P14, Policy BE2 c), Policy BE3, Policy KP13c. and 13d., Policy BE.5, Policy P9, Policy CC2
Judgments cited: Holborn Studios v Hackney LBC; Bernard Wheatcroft v SoS for the Environment
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.