Solar farm on protected green belt land set for approval
The secretary of state would still need to approve
A solar farm the size of more than 80 football pitches is set to be given the go-ahead despite concerns it would be built on protected green belt land.
Councillors at North Yorkshire Council will examine plans for the scheme in Austfield Lane, Hillam, near Selby, next week.
The solar farm would have a capacity of 49.95MW, which would provide enough green energy to supply 17,000 homes and displace 107,500 tonnes of CO2 a year.
Planning officers are recommending councillors sitting on the authority’s strategic planning committee approve the scheme when they meet on Tuesday.
Objections submitted
Local residents, community leaders and the CPRE, formerly the Campaign for the Protection of England, have submitted objections, however.
In its response, CPRE North and East Yorkshire said the development would not conform to local or national planning policies.
It said the applicant sought to justify the proposal within the green belt as being essential to respond to the climate crisis.
But the charity added: “Research by the University College London (UCL) Energy Institute in 2023, commissioned by CPRE, shows the true potential of rooftop solar in helping to meet net zero targets, protect the countryside and tackle the climate emergency illustrating that large scale solar farms are not actually required.
“As such, CPRNEY opine that the very special circumstances put forward by the applicant in their planning statement do not trump the significant harm caused to the green belt.”
Hillam Parish Council said the application failed to acknowledge residents’ desire to see the green belt surrounding the village preserved.
It added: “Over the past couple of years, the parish council has spent considerable public funds in planning related disputes to preserve the green belt.
“If a development such as this were to go ahead, it would make a mockery of all the good work undertaken by parish councillors, local government councillors and Selby District Council as was.”
The council has received 36 objections from local residents with their concerns including the impact on the character of the village and the surrounding landscape, the loss of good agricultural land and the scheme being proposed in the green belt.
Renewable energy benefit
But in her report for councillors, which recommends approval, case officer Jenny Crossley concluded that while the solar farm would cause significant harm to the green belt, this was outweighed by the benefits.
According to the officer, these included the amount of renewable energy produced by the scheme, improvements to natural habitats and hedgerows by the developer and the economic benefits from the construction, management and decommissioning of the scheme.
If the application is approved, it will need to be signed off by the secretary of state due to it being on green belt land.
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