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Dismissed3 October 20253363564

Land North of A6068, Padiham, BB12 8UE

Planning appeal 3363564 at Land North of A6068, Padiham, BB12 8UE (Burnley Borough Council) was dismissed on 3 October 2025 by Inspector Thompson P, following a hearing. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: whether the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the National Planning Policy Framework (the Framework) and relevant development plan policies.

erection of a 99.9 MW battery storage facility with boundary fencing, access track, landscaping, and associated infrastructure

Authority
Burnley Borough Council
Appeal type
major · Planning Appeal
Procedure
Hearing
Development
utilities-energy · Major general industry/storage/warehousing
Inspector
Thompson P
Postcode
BB12 8UE

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

  • whether the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the National Planning Policy Framework (the Framework) and relevant development plan policies
  • the effect of the proposal on purposes (a) and (c) that the Green Belt serves, as set out in paragraph 143 of the Framework
  • the effect of the proposal on the openness of the Green Belt
  • the effect of the proposal on the rural landscape character and appearance of the site and its surroundings
  • whether any harm by reason of inappropriateness, and any other harm, would be clearly outweighed by other considerations, so as to amount to the very special circumstances required to justify the proposal

What decided it

The identified Green Belt harm (inappropriateness, harm to Green Belt purposes and openness) combined with significant harm to rural landscape character was not clearly outweighed by the benefits advanced, so very special circumstances did not exist.

The substantial weight afforded to climate/energy benefits and moderate/limited weight to biodiversity net gain and economic benefits did not clearly outweigh the moderate Green Belt harms and significant harm to rural character, so the balance tipped against the proposal.

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies
Policy SP7Policy NE3Policy CC1
National Planning Policy Framework
Paragraph 143Paragraph 153Paragraph 154Paragraph 155
Judgments
Holborn Studios Ltd v The Council of the London Borough of Hackney [2017] EWHC 2823 (Admin)

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.

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The decision letter

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More decisions in Burnley

The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2025

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  3. Dismissed15 February 20243322814
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  4. Dismissed1 March 20233308794
    Greenside Farm, Burnley Road, Hapton, Burnley Lancs, BB11 5QT
  5. Dismissed6 October 20266010160
    27 Rosehill Road, Burnley, BB11 2JT

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.

In the app this decision sits on the map beside every appeal around it, with its letter to read and the main issues, policies and judgments cited picked out.