®Planning appeal decision
Land to South of Birmingham Road, Kenilworth, Warwick and Land at Meer End, Solihull
Planning appeal 3347315 at Land to South of Birmingham Road, Kenilworth, Warwick and Land at Meer End, Solihull (Warwick District Council) was allowed on 30 January 2025 by Inspector Major P, following a hearing. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: 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.
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.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy P17Policy DS18Policy P10Policy BE2Policy BE4Policy NE4Policy P14Policy BE2 c)Policy BE3Policy KP13c. and 13d.Policy BE.5Policy P9Policy CC2
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 143Paragraph 155Paragraph 160Paragraph 110Paragraph 115
- Judgments
- Holborn Studios v Hackney LBC; Bernard Wheatcroft v SoS for the Environment
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
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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.