SOUTH CAMBRIDGESHIRE DISTRICT COUNCIL REPORT TO: Planning Committee 6 August 2014 AUTHOR/S: Planning and New Communities Director Application Number: S/1067/14/FL Parish(es): SHINGAY-CUM-WENDY Proposal: Solar Farm and Associated Equipment Site address: Vine Farm, High Street Applicant(s): Vine Farm Solar Recommendation: Delegated Approval (as amended) Key material considerations: Countryside Landscape Character Heritage Assets Archaeology Ecology Biodiversity Trees and Landscaping Flood Risk Public Footpaths Committee Site Visit: Yes Departure Application: No Presenting Officer: Julie Ayre Application brought to Committee because: Major Application of Local Interest Date by which decision due: 8 August 2014 Executive Summary 1. This proposal, as amended, is for a new 37.8 MW solar farm with associated equipment covering an area of approximately 88 hectares located 300 metres to the south west of the village of Wendy and 500 metres to the north east of the hamlet of Shingay. The development is of a kind that receives very considerable support in national and local planning policy and that, following the guidance in the National Planning Policy Framework there must be a strong presumption in favour of it. The proposal would have an impact on the countryside but this is not considered to be unacceptable adverse visual impact that would significantly harm the character and appearance of the area as the development would be satisfactorily mitigated by additional landscaping. The development is also not considered to harm landscape character, damage the setting of heritage assets, destroy important archaeological evidence, result in the loss of important trees and hedges, harm biodiversity interests, increase flood risk, be detrimental to highway safety, adversely affect the amenities of neighbours or seriously harm the amenity of public footpaths. 2. Therefore, on balance, the public benefits of the scheme in respect of renewable energy production are considered to outweigh any identified modest harm arising from the development such as the temporary loss of agricultural productivity and impact upon the setting of the Wimpole Hall Historic Park and Garden. Site and Proposal 3. The site is located outside of any village framework and within the countryside. It is situated 300 metres to the south west of the village of Wendy and 500 metres to the north east of the hamlet of Shingay. The site, as amended, measures approximately 88 hectares in area and comprises flat agricultural land that consists of four fields. The fields to the north and south are separated by an access road. There are trees and hedges along the majority of the south eastern, south western and north western boundaries of the site and within the site itself along the field boundaries. The northern boundary is open. The site has a grade 2/3 (very good/good to moderate) agricultural land classification. It lies within the Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire Claylands Landscape Character Area. The site lies within flood zones 1, 2 and 3 (low, medium and high risk). The North Ditch runs along the north western and south western boundary of the site with a tributary through the site. There is also a drain along the south eastern boundary and a number of drains within the site. Public rights of way run from the east of the village of Wendy and along the northern boundary of the site and from the west of the village of Wendy and through the central part of the site. The nearest listed buildings are Vine House (grade II) that lies immediately to the north west of the site; The Grove (grade II), Glebe House (grade II*), Porch Cottage (grade II), a pump (grade II) and Old School (grade II) that are situated within the village of Wendy and Wimpole Hall (grade I) Historic Park and Garden that lies 1km to the north. Bassingbourn Barracks is a County Wildlife Site that lies immediately to the south east of the site. This full planning application, received on 14 January 2014 and amended on 14 July 2014 and 22 July 2014, proposes the installation of a 38.7MW solar photovoltaic panels along with inverter/transformer buildings houses, a substation, construction compound, access track, security fence and pole mounted CCTV cameras for a temporary period of 25 years. The photovoltaic panels would be mounted on steel frames that are angled at 20 degrees to face south. There would be arrays of panels running east to west across the site that measure up to 600 metres in length. Each panel array would measure approximately 3.69 metres x 19.02 metres. They would have a maximum height of 1.9 metres and be set approximately 5 metres apart. The panels would be composed of modules with a dark blue/grey appearance. The existing access track that runs through the centre of the site would be utilised. A new 4.5 metre wide access would be provided for a short distance from the farm to the substation compound. The substation compound and temporary construction compound would be situated to the north west of field 1. The substation compound would consist of a DNO building and customer switchgear building along with a transformer, disconnector and circuit breaker. It would measure 40. 3 metres in length x 20.3 metres in depth and be surrounded by a 5 metre high metal panel fence. The construction compound would consist of portakabins for offices, wc’s, a canteen and storage, a material storage area, parking spaces for staff and a turning area for construction vehicles. Within each field, a maximum of 6 groups of transformer/ inverter buildings that measure 6 metres in length x 2.4 metres in width x 2.6 metres in height would be erected at regular intervals to serve the panels. A security fence that measures 2 metres in height and consist of timber posts with steel wire in a deer stock design would surround the site. A number of CCTV poles at a height of 2 metres would be erected around the perimeter of the site. Access to the site would be via the existing access to Vine Farm off the High Street in Wendy. Planning History 4. S/0100/14/E1 - Screening Opinion for Solar Farm - EIA not required. Planning Policy 5. South Cambridgeshire Local Development Framework (LDF) Development Control Policies DPD, adopted January 2007 DP/1 Sustainable Development DP/2 Design of New Development DP/3 Development Criteria DP/7 Development Frameworks NE/2 Renewable Energy NE/4 Landscape Character Areas NE/6 Biodiversity NE/11 Flood Risk NE/15 Noise Pollution NE/16 Emissions NE/17 Protecting High Quality Agricultural Land CH/2 Archaeological Sites CH/4 Development Within the Setting of a Listed Building TR/1 Planning for More Sustainable Travel 6. Submission Local Plan (March 2014) S/7 Development Frameworks HQ/1 Design Principles NH/2 Protecting and Enhancing Landscape Character NH/3 Protecting Agricultural Land NH/4 Biodiversity NH/8 Mitigating the Impact of Development in and adjoining the Green Belt NH/14 Heritage Assets CC/2 Renewable and Low Carbon Energy Generation CC/6 Construction Methods CC/9 Managing Flood Risk SC/11 Noise Pollution SC/12 Contaminated Land TI/2 Planning for Sustainable Travel 7. South Cambridgeshire LDF Supplementary Planning Documents (SPD): Listed Buildings SPD - Adopted July 2009 Trees & Development Sites SPD - Adopted January 2009 Landscape in New Developments SPD - Adopted March 2010 Biodiversity SPD - Adopted July 2009 District Design Guide SPD - Adopted March 2010 Consultation by South Cambridgeshire District Council as Local Planning Authority Original Submission 8. Shingay-cum-Wendy Parish Council – Recommends refusal and makes the following comments: - Scale/Scheme South Cambs Development Control Policies Application fails on the following Policy: Policy DP/2 ‘Design of New Development’ a) Preserve or enhance the character of the local area and f) Be compatible with its location and appropriate in terms of scale, mass, form, siting, proportion, in relation to the surrounding area 1. The proposed scheme is out of character for the area. 2. The scale of the proposed solar scheme is out of proportion to the village. The village is a small farming village with no amenities. The scale of such a development would completely destroy the rural feel of the village. 3. The Proposed development would completely split Shingay and Wendy which are considered to be one Parish and are currently joined by an unlisted footpath. Location South Cambs Local Plan (Proposed Submission) – Chapter 6. Protecting and Enhancing the Natural and Historic Environment Application fails on the following two Policies: Policy NH/2: ‘Protecting and Enhancing Landscape Character’ “Development will only be permitted where it respects and retains, or enhances the local character and distinctiveness of the local landscape and of the individual National Character Area in which it is located.” Policy NH/13: ‘Important Countryside Frontage’ Important Countryside Frontages are defined where land with a strong countryside character (Point 1b) “Provides an important rural break between two nearby but detached parts of a development framework”. 6.42 – “In many places land with a strong countryside character penetrates or sweeps into South Cambridgeshire’s villages or separates two parts of the built up area. Such land enhances the setting, character and appearance of the village by retaining the sense of connection between the village and its rural origins and surroundings. The frontage where this interface particularly occurs is identified to indicate that the frontage and the open countryside beyond should be kept open and free from development. In most cases it is land which adjoins the village built up area but in some cases it separates two parts of the village and the open intervening land therefore assumes an importance for the character of the village as a whole.” Shingay cum Wendy is a perfect example; building a solar farm in between the two parts of the village would remove the character, therefore the application should be refused based on Point 2 conclusion, which states “Planning permission for development will be refused if it would compromise these purposes”.