North Herts: Plans for solar farm on Green Belt rejected

On Thursday (July 18), North Herts Council's Planning Control Committee denied permission for a 45 hectare solar farm within 106 hectares of land north east of Wandon End, despite planning officers recommending they approve the project.

Three parish councils - Offley, Lilley and Kings Walden -  and 400 residents had lodged their objections with the council, with concerns about "inappropriate" Green Belt development and energy going into the national grid rather than directly benefitting North Herts residents.

It led to a meeting that was busy and - at times - rowdy, with chair Cllr Elizabeth Dennis asking members of the public to quieten down on several occasions.

Council planning officers had accepted the development would have an "adverse" impact on the landscape, but deemed this was outweighed by the contribution the farm would make to renewable energy in a district that has declared a climate change emergency and committed to reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2040.

The farm would export 48 megawatts of power at its peak, just below the highest level a solar farm can have without requiring approval from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. This is a slight reduction from the initial application, which expected it to export 49.9 megawatts, providing electricity for around 20,500 homes.

But councillors overruled the officers' judgment, citing concerns about harm to the "openness" and "rural character and appearance" of the site and its surrounding area that they believed outweighed the farm's potential benefits.

An initial vote saw three councillors vote in favour of granting permission, with five against. A second vote, on a motion in favour of refusal, then saw seven councillors voting to reject the plans with just one in favour.

Cllr Michael Muir thought the farm would be too large, while Cllr Amy Allen suggested removing two fields from the proposal. (Image: North Herts Council)

Multiple councillors, including Cllr Michael Muir, expressed concerns that the farm was "too large". Cllr Amy Allen suggested that the application should be revised to remove two fields she argued were "too close to residential areas".

Both Cllr Ruth Brown and Cllr Nigel Mason recognised the potential benefits of the farm and said it was "difficult" to make a decision.

Cllr Ruth Brown and Cllr Nigel Mason said it was difficult to make a decision. (Image: North Herts Council)

Cllr Brown said "we need more renewable energy everywhere" and "we can't be parochial about climate change", while Cllr Mason said it "weighed heavily" on him that "solar farms are clearly a way to meet the climate emergency".

But both also had concerns about the project, though Cllr Mason expressed a "nervousness" about whether there was a "sound legal reason" for rejecting the application. Cllr Brown decided to vote in favour of refusing planning permission "on grounds of visual impact and landscape" and the site's Green Belt location.

The new Labour government has promised to "get Britain building", with a raft of planning reforms expected. But the planning committee had to ignore the outside noise and make their decision using the existing national framework, with Cllr Dennis reiterating the need for having sound legal reasons for refusal.

Cllr Elizabeth Dennis and Cllr Tom Tyson both expressed concerns about the plans. (Image: North Herts Council)

Cllr Dennis herself said she was "dismayed" about a lack of lighting at the proposed farm, citing concerns about safety, especially for women and girls. Cllr Tom Tyson recognised there had been "good attempts to mitigate the inevitable harms", but expressed concerns about a "loss of public amenity" and public rights of way.

Worries were also expressed about a perceived lack of public consultation and the amount of heavy traffic that would use roads around the site, although the applicant said they would "absolutely" be minded to accept a condition restricting traffic movements at certain times of day.

Cllr Joe Graziano - not a member of the committee - said not in my backyard. (Image: North Herts Council)

Perhaps the most outspoken speaker, Cllr Joe Graziano - who does not sit on the planning committee - said "the sensible decision is to say no, not in my backyard", adding that he did "not want North Herts turning into the Las Vegas Solar Commercial Zone". He was joined by several members of the public who spoke in favour of refusing permission.

The only public speaker in favour of the farm was the applicant's agent, who said some of the objectors' claims were "unsubstantiated". He argued it was a suitable location and that approval was the only "rational" decision with it being "difficult to justify which other locations in North Herts would be preferable".

And, while councillors may have refused to grant planning permission, Cllr Dennis said it "might not be the end of things". The applicant - Evolution Power Limited - can appeal the decision or the Secretary of State could call it in.

Last month, plans were approved for a solar farm on a 53.6 hectare field in the North Baldock Chalk Uplands in Bygrave and, in March, permission was granted for an 84.7 hectare solar farm in Great Wymondley.

Planning permission for a solar farm in St Ippolyts was refused last year due to concerns over its impact on the landscape.