A council’s policy that solar farms shouldn’t be built on arable land will get its first test with informal hearings on two appeals of refusal taking place later this month.
Both the applications for Caudwell Farm in Holbeach St Matthews and the Meridian Solar Farm on land east of Guanock Gate Road in Sutton St Edmund were refused by South Holland District Council last year.
The developers behind both applications have appealed the decisions.
Green Energy International wants to build a 49.9mw ‘ground mounted solar array and associated equipment’ on agricultural land at Holbeach St Matthews.
The application received 53 letters of objection, plus objections from South Holland Drainage Board, Holbeach Parish Council and the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust which it said was too close to The Wash naturally protected area.
However Natural England raised no objection, saying the application would ‘unlikely to lead to significant long term loss’ due to the panels being temporary, aimed to last for 40 years.
At the time district council leader Nick Worth said: “South Holland is clearly being targeted for solar farms and a line has to be drawn in the sand.
“We have the best agricultural land in the country and due to the cost of imported food we must grow our own.
“There is plenty of brownfield land where solar panels can go.”
The informal hearing is scheduled to take place at 10am on January 20 at South Holland District Council’s Priory Road office.
The inspector appointed by the Secretary of State to rule on the appeal will be in attendance.
There were similar levels of objections to the Meridian Solar Farm, close to the county border with Cambridgeshire in the Tydd St Giles area.
The county council was among those to object to that plan for a 49.9mw proposal that’s been made by Pathfinder Clean Energy (PACE).
It was refused by Fenland District Council last May, with its planning officers again arguing the loss of arable land did not justify the benefits of a solar farm at the location.
The informal hearing for that appeal is scheduled for three days to begin at 10am on Tuesday, January 27 but it will be held in Wisbech at the Harbour Square.
The hearing is being jointly held with Fenland District Council, which is why it’s taking place in Wisbech.
To attend either of the informal hearings for the appeals, interest needs to be registered by emailing planning
[email protected] with your name, address and email address.
Anyone wishing to speak is asked to inform the Secretary of State appointed inspector who will be in attendance at the start of the hearing.
