Issue - meetings

Lime Down Solar Park

 

 

Meeting: 04/03/2025 - Cabinet (Item 36)

36 Lime Down Solar Park

       To receive a report from the Corporate Director, Place.

 

 

Supporting documents:

Decision:

Resolved:

 

  1. Note the contents of this report.

 

  1. Cabinet is concerned about the substantial negative impact of the proposal and lack of detail and information from the applicant and delegates to the Director of Planning and Economy in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance, Development Management and Strategic Planning to formalise the additional planning issues raised during the meeting of cabinet on 4 March for submission as part of the consultation

 

  1. Agree the proposed response to Island Green Power for this statutory public consultation, including the council’s request that a supplementary public consultation be held, as follows:

 

That Wiltshire Council objects to the application on the following grounds.

 

  1. The site contains 30% best and most versatile agricultural land.  Both Core Policy 42 of Wiltshire Core Strategy and Core Policy 86 of the new Wiltshire Local Plan state that Best and Most Versatile land should not be used.  Equally the NPPF para 187 emphasise the same point in bullet b).  There is no evidence that the applicant has looked for other potential sites for the provision of the solar farm to avoid the use of BMV land as required in order to justify it’s use.

 

  1. Cumulative impact.  Whilst cumulative impact is not clearly defined in the NPPF there is a clear need to take into account the cumulative impact of renewable energy provision.  Lime Down in itself represents a proposal that we feel goes far beyond a reasonable test for cumulative impact.  To see that much farmland converted and the essential industrialisation of the countryside on that scale definitely, in the Council’s view, goes beyond any reasonable cumulative impact and provides good grounds for refusal.

 

  1. The site abuts the South Costwolds National Landscape and views out from the landscape would be impacted.  As such the scale and cumulative impact of the site are relevant not just to local residents but also in relation to the protected landscape.

 

  1. The site sits in the Bristol Avon Corridor as defined in the Wiltshire Green Blue Infrastructure Plan.  It would take a significant part of that corridor, converting it from open farmland to a more enclosed and less diverse landscape.  This could potentially effect the Avon catchment area and ecology.  As such the scale of the proposal would potentially cause significant harm to an important part of the BGI plan.

 

  1. The applicant wishes to deliver 10% Bio Diversity Net Gain.  In the revised local plan this would need to be 20% to meet the local plan targets.  There is however no evidence supplied to demonstrate how this uplift could be achieved when the land use will be modified grassland and there is no clear baseline for net gain as things stand.  Unless the applicant can clearly demonstrate how 20% net gain can be delivered and from what baseline, the application should not be able to proceed.

 

  1. There are significant outstanding concerns regarding species of concern including bats, ground nesting birds, brown hares, great crested newts and white clawed crayfish.  As things stand there are serious  ...  view the full decision text for item 36

Minutes:

Cllr Nick Botterill, Cabinet Member for Finance, Development Management, and Strategic Planning, presented a report which informed Members of the Lime Down Solar Park scheme proposals and actions by Island Green Power (applicant) since their non-statutory public consultation. To confirm the council’s response to the statutory public consultation and agree the proposed delegated authority provisions to enable the council to fulfil its statutory duties about the Development Consent Order process for this solar farm development.

 

The Leader reported his and other Cabinet member disappointment that following an invitation to attend this meeting to respond to comments and clarify elements of their scheme proposals, Island Green Power were not present. The Leader also explained the process being used to manage consideration of the scheme proposals so that all who wished to speak had that opportunity.

 

The Lime Down Solar Park report was introduced by the Director of Planning, Economy and regeneration. He explained that the Wiltshire Council is the Host Authority for this scheme, designated as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project, and one of the key statutory consultees. He noted that providing a detailed response to the scheme’s statutory consultation, the council has an opportunity to influence the scheme’s further development and refinement by the applicant.

 

The Director confirmed that the scheme is being promoted by Island Green Power, the applicant, under the requirements of the Planning Act to secure a Development Consent Order. The scheme is described as a new utility scale solar park and battery energy storage project proposed to be built on land in North Wiltshire. The project would comprise the installation of solar photovoltaic panels and an on-site battery energy storage facility, plus associated development to connect the project into the national grid at Melksham Substation, covering an area of about 2,834 hectares of land. Members noted that the statutory public consultation, launched by Island Green Power on 29 January runs until 19 March 2025, for public and key stakeholders to comment on the proposals and identify any areas of concern or opportunities for further improvement.

 

Cabinet noted that the issues relating to this project are complex and the impacts are broad-ranging and potentially significant, with some impacts being positive and others either neutral or adverse. The Director highlighted a number of concerns and reported that this is a matter for the Secretary of State, rather than Wiltshire Council, to weigh up the competing impacts to arrive at a decision. He suggested that the applicant undertakes a further supplementary public consultation to enable sufficient scrutiny of the cable connection route and its associated impacts.

 

The Cabinet and other members of the Council commented in detail on the scheme and highlighted a number of issues. In particular the following matters were considered:

 

  • Disappointment and frustration that the applicant had not responded to the invitation to attend this meeting, indicating a level of disrespect to the Council and residents.