®Planning appeal decision
Moat Barn Moat Lane, Wickersley, Rotherham, S66 1DZ
Planning appeal 3355631 at Moat Barn Moat Lane, Wickersley, Rotherham, S66 1DZ (Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council) was allowed on 13 June 2025 by Inspector Heywood S, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether the proposal is inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to relevant national and local planning policies and its impact on openness.
the installation of ground mounted solar panels for non-commercial use, including associated equipment, mounting frames, cabling, inverters and battery storage
- Appeal type
- householder · Householder (HAS)
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- utilities-energy · Householder developments
- Inspector
- Heywood S
- Postcode
- S66 1DZ
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether the proposal is inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to relevant national and local planning policies and its impact on openness
- Whether the proposal would preserve the setting and special architectural interest of the Grade II listed barn adjoining west end of Moat Farmhouse
- If the development is inappropriate, whether any harm by reason of inappropriateness, and any other harm, is clearly outweighed by other considerations so as to amount to the very special circumstances necessary to justify the proposal
What decided it
The urgent need for renewable energy to mitigate climate change and achieve net zero targets, combined with the very limited actual harm to the Green Belt and heritage asset, clearly outweighs the identified harms and constitutes very special circumstances.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- CS 4SP 2CS 23SP 40e
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 11Paragraph 152Paragraph 160Paragraph 161Paragraph 167Paragraph 168Paragraph 212Paragraph 215Paragraph 232
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
Town Planner Pro holds this letter. The Appeals plan opens it and every other letter we hold, all of them searchable, with the main issues and what decided each case picked out. We do not show letters on the free site because they carry people’s names and addresses.
With an account
What an account adds to this decision
More decisions in Rotherham
The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2025
- Dismissed27 October 20266011173Green Acres, Moat Lane, Wickersley, S66 1DZ
- Dismissed5 June 20266004041Land South, Of 83 Newhill Road Battison Lane, Rotherham, S63 6LN
- Dismissed9 February 202660013588 Grange Gardens, Todwick, Rotherham, S26 1JR
- Dismissed30 September 202533714235 Turnshaw Road, Ulley, Rotherham, South Yorkshire, S26 3YG
- Allowed30 September 20253371303Lynncroft Bungalow, Hard Lane, Kiveton Park, Rotherham, South Yorkshire, S26 6RP
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.