®Planning appeal decision
Land south of M20, Church Lane, Aldington, Kent, TN25 7EH
installation of a solar farm comprising ground mounted solar panels; access tracks; inverter/transformers; substation; storage, spare parts and welfare cabins; underground cables and conduits; perimeter fence; CCTV equipment; temporary construction compounds; and associated infrastructure and planting scheme
- Authority
- Ashford Borough Council
- Appeal type
- major · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Inquiry
- Development
- utilities-energy · Other Major Developments
- Inspector
- Griffiths P
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- The effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area, encompassing questions around public rights of way (the landscape and visual impact issue)
- The effect of the proposal on the setting and thereby the significance of a series of heritage assets, both designated and non-designated (the heritage issue)
- The acceptability, or otherwise, of the proposal having regard to the development plan and national policy, the benefits of the proposal, and the need for a 'planning balance'
What decided it
The public benefits of the scheme did not outweigh the less than substantial harm caused to the significance of the Grade I and Grade II* listed Church of St Martin and Court Lodge and other nearby heritage assets.
The substantial benefits of renewable energy generation, biodiversity net gain and economic benefits were outweighed by the less than substantial harm to the significance of the Church of St Martin, Court Lodge, the Aldington Conservation Area and the Hogben Farmhouse complex, tipping the balance against the proposal.
Framework references: 212, 213, 215
Plan policies cited: LP Policy ENV10, LP Policy ENV13, LP Policy ENV3a, LP Policy ENV3, LP Policy ENV5, NP Policy AB10, NP Policy AB11, NP Policy AB4
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.