Council Planning Consultation Response 20 August 2020

Officer’s Name: Morgan Jones Conservation (North) Officer’s Title: Senior Planning Officer Monkton Park Direct Line: 01225 718616

SN15 1ER

Application No: 20/06840/FUL Construction of a solar farm and battery storage facility together with all associated works, equipment and necessary infrastructure. Land North of Melksham Substation, Near Melksham, Wiltshire, Eastings: 390183 Northings: 167086 Adam Withers

Please note the particulars in connection with the above planning application are available to view on the planning website http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/planninganddevelopment.htm

I would welcome any comments that you have about this particular application by 24 September 2020. If I do not receive your observations and comments by this date I will assume you have none. If you require an extension of time please contact the Planning Officer above who will do their best to accommodate this.

Recommendations:

No Comment Support Support subject to conditions (please set out below) X Object (for reasons set out below) No objections

Matters Considered: This is a proposal to install solar panels and associated infrastructure across a large area of land straddling the railway line between and . The site has various grades of listed building at points around the edge. Slightly further are conservation areas in Gastard, Lacock and Bowden Hill. There are numerous listed buildings in Lacock, including grade I listed Lacock Abbey, listed buildings at points on Bowden Hill and also Beanacre. As well as structures, there are listed parks & gardens at Lacock and Spye Park.

The land where the development is proposed is relatively flat, with fields and vegetative boundaries of various types subdividing the area. The land rises from Lacock taking in Bowden Hill and Spye Park. Views from the far side of the site towards the conservation areas, Lacock and Bowden Hill may be intruded upon but the distance is such that it may not harm the setting significantly. The views looking out from the upper floors of Lacock Abbey and Bowden Hill will change from green fields to a large expanse of reflective panels and infrastructure. Thus the currently rural scene will become more jarring and distracting due to the massing of solar panels. As Spye Park sits on the brow of the hill above Bowden Hill, it may be that views from this grade II Listed park and garden are minimal. However, there is nothing submitted with this application referring to this heritage asset and I would ask that the heritage statements are amended to included analysis of the impact on Spye Park.

Closer to the site are the four listed buildings that are Thatch Cottage, Wick, Farm, Catridge Farm and Westlands Farm. Analysis of these buildings, their significance and the impact of the proposed development seems to consider views and the immediate curtilage, but does not touch on the other sensory aspects of setting, such as noise and smell. Beanacre, which sits just below the south east edge of the site, contains a number of listed buildings, including Old Manor (grade I) and Beanacre Manor (Grade II*). There are also listed buildings to the south west of the site at Whitley, that have not been assessed.

The heritage assessment has focussed on the architectural and historic significance of the designated heritage assets, without considering the elements that make up significance, namely evidential and communal. Appreciation of setting goes beyond just visual, and that has not been addressed in the statement. I do not feel that the impact of these proposals on the numerous heritage assets surround this very large site, has been fully considered and as such it does not comply with the NPPF. Without robust evidence to demonstrate the level of harm will be minimal, I am unable to support the proposals.

Caroline Ridgwell Senior Conservation Officer