PL.09 14/15

Planning Committee

Date 15 October 2014

Subject: Planning applications for determination

Report by: Chief Operating Officer

Contact Officer: Zoë Raygen Acting Area Team Manager 01427 676673

The report contains details of planning Purpose / Summary: applications that require determination by the committee together with appropriate appendices

RECOMMENDATION(S): Each item has its own recommendation

1 IMPLICATIONS Legal: None arising from this report.

Financial : None arising from this report.

Staffing : None arising from this report.

Equality and Diversity including Human Rights : The planning applications have been considered against Human Rights implications especially with regard to Article 8 – right to respect for private and family life and Protocol 1, Article 1 – protection of property and balancing the public interest and well-being of the community within these rights.

Risk Assessment : None arising from this report.

Climate Related Risks and Opportunities : None arising from this report.

Title and Location of any Background Papers used in the preparation of this report: Are detailed in each individual item

Call in and Urgency:

Is the decision one which Rule 14.7 of the Scrutiny Procedure Rules apply?

i.e. is the report exempt from being called in due to Yes No x urgency (in consultation with C&I chairman)

Key Decision:

A matter which affects two or more wards, or has Yes No x significant financial implications

2 Item 1 - 131507 - Birch Holt Farm

1 Item 1 - 131507 - Birch Holt Farm

Officer’s Report Planning Application No: 131507

PROPOSAL: Planning application for construction of a solar farm generating up to 20MW and associated works

LOCATION: Birch Holt Farm Woodcote Lane Burton Lincoln LN1 2RD WARD: Saxilby WARD MEMBER(S): Councillor Mrs Brockway and Reverend Councillor Cotton APPLICANT NAME: AEE Renewables UK 8 Limited" TARGET DECISION DATE: 03/10/2014 DEVELOPMENT TYPE: Large Major - Other l

RECOMMENDED DECISION: That the application be delegated to the Head of Development and Neighbourhoods to Grant subject to the following conditions and the receipt of no objections from NATS

Description:

Site - The site extends to around 41 ha and is comprised of two separate elements connected by accesses. The two main elements are currently in agricultural use and lie to the east of the B1398, Middle Street to the southeast of and northeast and east of Burton-by-Lincoln. The southernmost element lies to the north of the Coach Road and is the larger of the two elements extending to around 28ha. A field separates this from the smaller element (13ha). Both elements adjoin Middle Street. A separate area of land on the Lincoln Cliff escarpment was originally included within the application but has since been deleted.

Proposal – The proposal in its revised form is for a 20MW solar farm with the panels being mounted at an angle of 20 degrees with the lowest part of the panel being 0.8m above the ground and the highest part a maximum of 2.5m from the ground. They will be fixed in place, rather than moving with the track of the sun, and will face south. Each row will be set between 3 and 4.5metres from the next one to prevent shadowing. There will also be equipment and other development associated with the panels. This comprises:

 security fencing (2metres high)  strategically located security cameras mounted on poles,  additional planting at the site perimeter,  the laying of tracks within the development site,  19 transformer stations distributed across the site, each measuring 3.1m x 7m at a height of 3.4m  DNO (Distribution Network Operator) substation measuring 2.5m x 6m at a height of 3.4m

2 Item 1 - 131507 - Birch Holt Farm

Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment)(England and Wales) Regulation