®Planning appeal decision
Land east of Aylesbury Road, Ledburn, LU7 0QD
the installation of a renewable energy generating solar farm comprising ground-mounted photovoltaic solar arrays together with substation, tower connection, transformer stations, switchroom, site accesses, internal access tracks, security measures, access gates, other ancillary infrastructure and landscaping and biodiversity enhancements
- Authority
- Buckinghamshire Council - Aylesbury Area *
- Appeal type
- major · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Inquiry
- Development
- utilities-energy · Major general industry/storage/warehousing
- Inspector
- Woolcock J
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- The effects of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the area and on the landscape, scenic and natural beauty of the Chilterns National Landscape.
- Whether the proposed development would preserve the settings of listed buildings, and its effects on other designated and non-designated heritage assets.
What decided it
The substantial weight attributable to the renewable energy benefits of the scheme, together with its accordance with the development plan as a whole (notably Policy C3), outweighed the less-than-substantial heritage harm and landscape/character harm identified.
The substantial benefits from renewable energy generation, together with moderate economic and biodiversity benefits and slight community benefits, outweighed the considerable weight attributed to the less-than-substantial harm to designated heritage assets and to the character and appearance of the area/Chilterns National Landscape, so the balance tipped in favour of the proposal.
Framework references: 11, 168, 187, 189, 190, 208, 213, 215, 216
Plan policies cited: VALP Policy NE8, VALP Policy BE1, VALP Policy NE4, VALP Policy BE2, VALP Policy C3, VALP Policy C4, VALP Policy BE3, VALP Policy I4, VALP Policy NE1, VALP Policy NE2, VALP Policy NE3, VALP Policy NE7, VALP Policy NE5, SPNDP Policy SLP1
Judgments cited: New Forest National Park Authority v SoSHCLG [2025] EWHC 726 (Admin); Wadhurst Parish Council and SoS LUHC [2025] EWHC 1735 (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.