Land at Lower Wyke, St Mary Bourne, SP116AW

Planning appeal 6002358 at Land at Lower Wyke, St Mary Bourne, SP116AW (Basingstoke and Deane) was allowed on 11 June 2026 by Inspector Toby Gethin, following a hearing. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: the effect of the proposed development on the landscape and visual amenity of the surrounding area and the NL.

The development of ground mounted solar photovoltaic array, with associated infrastructure, security fencing, CCTV, associated cable route, private and DNO substations, landscaping and onsite biodiversity net gain

Authority: Basingstoke and Deane
Appeal type: Planning
Procedure: Hearing
Development: utilities-energy
Inspector: Toby Gethin
Postcode: SP11 6AW

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

the effect of the proposed development on the landscape and visual amenity of the surrounding area and the NL
whether there are exceptional circumstances and whether it would be in the public interest
the effect of the proposed development on historic heritage assets

What decided it

The substantial public benefits of the renewable energy scheme (climate change, energy security and economic benefits) were found to satisfy the exceptional circumstances/public interest test under NPPF paragraph 190 and to outweigh the localised, moderate landscape, visual and heritage harms identified.

the adverse impacts, the conflict with relevant development plan policies and the inconsistency with the statutory purposes of the National Landscape were outweighed by the scheme's substantial environmental, social and economic benefits

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies: Policy EM1Policy P5Policy EM8
National Planning Policy Framework: Paragraph 190

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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3 other decided appeals within two kilometres of this site. In the app every dot opens its decision, and its letter wherever one was published, and you can draw your own site to see what has been decided around it.AllowedDismissedSplitThis decision

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More decisions in Basingstoke and Deane

The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2026

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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.