®Planning appeal decision
New Hall Farm, New Hall Lane, Overton, WAKEFIELD, WF4 4RP
the installation of a renewable energy generating station comprising ground-mounted photovoltaic solar arrays together with substation, transformer stations, site accesses, internal access tracks, security measures, access gates, other ancillary infrastructure and landscaping and biodiversity enhancements
- Authority
- Wakefield Metropolitan District Council
- Appeal type
- major · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Inquiry
- Development
- utilities-energy · Other Major Developments
- Inspector
- Partington A
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- The effect of the proposal on, and the potential loss of, agricultural land
- The effect of the proposal on landscape character
- The visual effect of the proposal on nearby residents, users of the public rights of way network and road users
- The effect of the proposal on the setting of nearby heritage assets
What decided it
The substantial weight given to the proposal's contribution to renewable energy generation, climate change mitigation and energy security outweighed the identified landscape, visual and heritage harms.
The substantial benefit of renewable energy generation, together with significant biodiversity net gain and moderate economic benefits, outweighed the moderate landscape and visual harm and the less than substantial harm to the setting of the Scheduled Monument, justifying allowing the appeal other than in accordance with the development plan.
Framework references: 153, 155, 187, 188, 212, 215, 57
Plan policies cited: Policy LP70, Policy SP23, Policy LP55, Policy LP56, Policy LP59, Policy LP63, Policy LP64, Policy LP27, Policy LP52, Policy LP54, Policy LP57, Policy LP66, Policy LP67, Policy LP69, Policy LP29, Policy LP30
Judgments cited: Holborn Studios Ltd v The Council of the London Borough of Hackney [2017] EWHC 2823 (Admin); Lee Valley Regional Park Authority, R (on the application of) v Epping Forest District Council & Anor (Rev 1) [2016] EWCA Civ 404; Lullington Solar Park Limited v Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and South Derbyshire District Council [2024] EWHC 295 (Admin); Bramley Solar Farm Residents Group v Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Bramley Solar Limited and Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council [2023] EWHC 2842 (Admin)
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.