News: Rotherham Council reiterates issues with Whitestone solar proposals
Rotherham Council's issues with a massive solar farm proposed in the borough are set to be discussed this week.
Plans recently moved to the next stage for Whitestone Solar Farm - a generating station with an estimated capacity of up to 750MW connecting to the National Grid Brinsworth Substation in Rotherham.
Whitestone is classified as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP), which means that it is applying for a Development Consent Order (DCO) to authorise its construction, operation and decommissioning. The final decision on a DCO application will be made at the national level by the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero.
Local councils are statutory consultees for NSIPs and a report is due to be presented to Rotherham's planning board this week before the Planning Inspectorate's preliminary meeting takes place next month.
On the use of Green Belt land, Rotherham Council set out that the solar farm conflicts with the Rotherham Local Plan and national policies, in that "the development would introduce substantial built form and industrialising features into land intended to remain open and to safeguard the setting and separation of settlements."
Promoters of the scheme, Green Nation, say that the proposed development is located on "grey belt land because the site does not strongly contribute to Green Belt purposes" and go on to say that "even if this position is not accepted, there are Very Special Circumstances that clearly outweigh any harm identified in terms of the five Green Belt purposes."
Rotherham Council does not agree with Green Nation's conclusion about land being grey belt given that there are historic towns nearby, that the land checks unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas and helps prevent neighbouring towns merging into one another.
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Rotherham Council has also raised issue with the loss of Best and Most Versatile (BMV) agricultural land and over the issue of the 60 year timescale, given that national policy is 40 years.
Concern has also been raised relating to the "scale, concentration and persistence of significant landscape and visual effects", particularly the impact on settlements such as North Anston, Wickersley, Ulley and Harthill, and various public rights of way and recreational routes.
Rotherham Council is also concerned about the harm to the setting of heritage assets and the proximity to a Local Wildlife Site at Brampton Common has been raised.
Concerns regarding the suitability and capacity of the proposed substation and Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) location have been raised and on Biodiversity Net Gain, a way of creating and improving natural habitats, Rotherham Council said that "expressing an intention to achieve a 10% minimum gain does not go far enough."
The report concludes: "Whilst the Council recognises the contribution the proposal could make towards renewable energy generation and national net zero objectives, it maintains that a number of significant issues remain unresolved and require further assessment through the examination process."
The authority will continue working on its Local Impact Report - a comprehensive assessment of the likely impacts of the proposed development on the borough and one of the Council's principal pieces of evidence during the examination. It will also engage on the Statements of Common Ground, an important part of the examination process.
The planning inspectorate is currently accepting submissions from interested parties until October 27 before the formal examination process starts on November 10 with a preliminary meeting in Rotherham to establish the procedures, timetable and arrangements for the examination.
Images: Pexels / Mark Stebnicki
Plans recently moved to the next stage for Whitestone Solar Farm - a generating station with an estimated capacity of up to 750MW connecting to the National Grid Brinsworth Substation in Rotherham.
Whitestone is classified as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP), which means that it is applying for a Development Consent Order (DCO) to authorise its construction, operation and decommissioning. The final decision on a DCO application will be made at the national level by the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero.
Local councils are statutory consultees for NSIPs and a report is due to be presented to Rotherham's planning board this week before the Planning Inspectorate's preliminary meeting takes place next month.
On the use of Green Belt land, Rotherham Council set out that the solar farm conflicts with the Rotherham Local Plan and national policies, in that "the development would introduce substantial built form and industrialising features into land intended to remain open and to safeguard the setting and separation of settlements."
Promoters of the scheme, Green Nation, say that the proposed development is located on "grey belt land because the site does not strongly contribute to Green Belt purposes" and go on to say that "even if this position is not accepted, there are Very Special Circumstances that clearly outweigh any harm identified in terms of the five Green Belt purposes."
Rotherham Council does not agree with Green Nation's conclusion about land being grey belt given that there are historic towns nearby, that the land checks unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas and helps prevent neighbouring towns merging into one another.
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Rotherham Council has also raised issue with the loss of Best and Most Versatile (BMV) agricultural land and over the issue of the 60 year timescale, given that national policy is 40 years.
Concern has also been raised relating to the "scale, concentration and persistence of significant landscape and visual effects", particularly the impact on settlements such as North Anston, Wickersley, Ulley and Harthill, and various public rights of way and recreational routes.
Rotherham Council is also concerned about the harm to the setting of heritage assets and the proximity to a Local Wildlife Site at Brampton Common has been raised.
Concerns regarding the suitability and capacity of the proposed substation and Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) location have been raised and on Biodiversity Net Gain, a way of creating and improving natural habitats, Rotherham Council said that "expressing an intention to achieve a 10% minimum gain does not go far enough."
The report concludes: "Whilst the Council recognises the contribution the proposal could make towards renewable energy generation and national net zero objectives, it maintains that a number of significant issues remain unresolved and require further assessment through the examination process."
The authority will continue working on its Local Impact Report - a comprehensive assessment of the likely impacts of the proposed development on the borough and one of the Council's principal pieces of evidence during the examination. It will also engage on the Statements of Common Ground, an important part of the examination process.
The planning inspectorate is currently accepting submissions from interested parties until October 27 before the formal examination process starts on November 10 with a preliminary meeting in Rotherham to establish the procedures, timetable and arrangements for the examination.
Images: Pexels / Mark Stebnicki
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