Agenda item

To consider a report of the Chief Planning Officer on an application for installation of ground mounted photovoltaic panels and associated infrastructure

(report attached)

  Plans, photographs and drawings were displayed at the meeting.  A Members site visit had taken place earlier in the day

  The Panel’s Lead Officer presented the report which sought approval for the installation of a 150kW ground mounted photovoltaic (pv) array consisting of 654 pv panels on a site located within the Green Belt and a Special Landscape Area (SLA), at Two Hoots Farm Harewood

  The policy context of the proposals was outlined, with Members being informed that the NPPF encouraged the delivery of renewable energy sources and that substantial weight should be given to that.  The site was also located in the Green Belt and as such was not a use which was considered to be acceptable, unless very special circumstances were demonstrated to outweigh the harm to the Green Belt through inappropriate development.  In this case also, the landscaping impact related to the SLA, which also carried weight

  The proposal was outlined and details of the proposed tree planting to help screen the panels was provided.  It was accepted that there would be clearer views into the site during the winter months, due to leaf loss, however the additional planting would create a natural woodland of varying heights over time

  In considering the application, Members were advised they would need to consider the harm to the Green Belt - taking into account that the proposal did impact on openness, however it was a relatively small scale scheme; views to it were limited and that additional screening would be provided.  In addition the permission was temporary for 25 years, this being the life span of the equipment.  Consideration should also be given to the renewable energy provided through the proposals and the Government’s focus on renewable energy as set out in the NPPF

  It was confirmed that Leeds Bradford International Airport had advised they had no objection to the application.  A correction was made to paragraph 10.6 of the submitted report, with Panel being informed that the applicant had submitted a statement to address the impact on the SLA

  The Panel discussed the application with the main issues being raised relating to:

·  whether the scheme would benefit from Government subsidies

·  work being undertaken on the mound.  Members were informed this was being investigated by the Council’s Minerals Team as the work being carried out on this had not received approval

·  impact of the proposals on the sheep

·  the need for further information to be provided to Panel about electricity generation from such schemes; how excess energy which was produced was sold to the National Grid and background information on solar panel technology, to better understand what was being proposed

·  the planning history of the site, with concerns that the whole history had not been included in the report before Panel and that this needed to be

·  the existence of a previous condition attached to a planning approval which specified the land was to be used for the spreading of slurry and the need for clarification of this and how it related to the scheme now proposed.  The Panel’s Lead Officer was of the view that such a condition did not necessarily prejudice the decision the Panel had to make, with this view being disputed

·  the need for the Agricultural Surveyor’s view on the application

·  possible alternative, more suitable sites for such a scheme

·  the visual impact of the proposals

In view of the issues which had been raised and the request for

additional information it was proposed to defer determination of the application to the next meeting

  RESOLVED -  To defer determination of the application for one cycle to enable a detailed planning history and enforcement history of the site to be provided; together with details of any conditions attached to planning permissions for the site which could be affected if the current application was approved; the view of the Council’s Agricultural Surveyor on the application and information relating to pv technology, electricity generation from such sources and the mechanics of the sale of surplus energy for third party use