Docking Farm Solar Project Planning, Design and Access Statement September 2020 Docking Farm Solar Project Planning, Design and Access Statement Contents 1 INTRODUCTION 3 2 SITE CONTEXT AND EXISTING USE 4 3 THE DEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL 5 4 PLANNING POLICY CONTEXT 9 5 PLANNING ASSESSMENT 9 6 CONCLUSION 12 Appendix 1 – Environmental Impact Assessment screening opinion September 2020 1 Docking Farm Solar Project Planning, Design and Access Statement Issue Sheet Report Prepared for: Docking Farm Solar Limited Docking Farm Solar Project, at Land north of The Street, Cawston Planning, Design and Access Statement Prepared by: Name: Jane Crichton Title: Senior Associate Planner (MRTPI) Approved by: Signature: Name: Ian Douglass Title: Head of Planning Date: September 2020 September 2020 2 Docking Farm Solar Project Planning, Design and Access Statement 1 Introduction 1.1 This planning statement supports a full planning application for the proposed development of a ground mounted solar farm which will cover an area of approximately 35.67 hectares on land north of The Street, Cawston on behalf of Docking Farm Solar Limited. The development includes associated infrastructure namely inverters, transformers, a DNO substation and battery storage. The farm will have an export capacity of 28 Megawatt (MW). 1.2 This statement should be read in conjunction with the following documents submitted as part of the planning application: • Application form and necessary certificates; • Site Location Plan; • Existing Site Plan; • Proposed Site Plan; • Proposed technical drawings: • Energy Store Container PL-002 • Inverter PL-005 • Fence and Construction Roads PL-007 • Mounting Structure PL-008 • Temporary Construction Area PL-009 • Storage Container PL-010 • Site Selection Assessment (Lanpro); • Statement of Community Involvement (Lanpro); • Preliminary Ecological Assessment, including Mitigation Management Plan (Wild Frontier); • Flood Risk Assessment and Drainage Strategy (Rossi Long); • Desk Based Archaeology and Heritage Assessment (Lanpro); • Agricultural Land Classification Report (Richard Stock); and • Landscape Appraisal including LVIA and Landscape Mitigation Plan (Proworks). • Traffic Impact Assessment (Rossi Long) 1.3 This planning statement addresses the Development Plan and material planning considerations. 1.4 The applicant has obtained an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) screening opinion in accordance with Schedule 2 3 (a) Energy Industry of the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017 (ref: 20201012 please refer to Appendix 1 for a copy). This confirmed that the development was not considered to constitute EIA development, therefore this application does not require to be accompanied by an Environmental Statement. The development has been subject to pre-application discussions with Broadland District Council. September 2020 3 Docking Farm Solar Project Planning, Design and Access Statement 2 Site Context and Existing Use 2.1 The application site (the site) covers an area of approximately 35.67 hectares and is located north of The Street, Cawston. The site is located south of the village of Oulton Street north of Cawston. The site falls within the parish of Cawston and borders the parishes of Oulton and Heydon. 2.2 The proposed site comprises three agricultural fields. The site is bounded to the east and west by agricultural land. To the south west is Bluestone Plantation and to the north are a number of poultry sheds. To the north west there is a ground mounted solar farm. The permission for this development (ref 20150952), allowed development of over 17.1ha but only part of it has been built. Therefore, the permission is extant and the remaining phases can still be built out. The Street runs along the eastern boundary which connects Cawston/Southgate and Oulton Street. The B1149 runs along the southern boundary is the main route between Holt and Horsford which is on the outskirts of Norwich. Both of these roads are subject to national speed limit (60mph). 2.3 The nearest residential dwellings are located to the north east of the site and is surrounded by a large number of trees which separate it from the site; and to the south west of the site which is located at the junction of The Street and the B1149. Along the north eastern boundary the hedge line is also dispersed with trees. The hedgerows are in good condition and have been left to grow to a reasonable height. To the north west of the site there is a small plantation of trees which is fairly dense. 2.4 There are no Public Rights of Way (PRoW) which run through the site and adjacent to it. The nearest is Marriott’s Way which is approximately 660m south east of the site. Given the nature of Marriotts Way being an old railway line, it sits lower than the surrounding land along large parts of it. The part of it closest to the site has substantial vegetation including hedgerows and trees on both sides of the route which means there are no views from it to the site. 2.5 There are overhead power lines which cross the site in a north/south direction. These serve the project’s point of connection into UKPN’s 33kV grid. 2.6 The site is within flood zone 1 as identified on the Governments Flood Risk maps but does have two small areas at risk of surface water flooding in accordance with mapping. 2.7 The site does not accommodate any listed buildings or Scheduled Monuments (SAM). The closest heritage assets are Heydon and Salle Conservation Area which is located on the western side of the B1149 (Bluestone Plantation is located within it). Beerhouse Farmhouse is located 520m south of the site which is Grade II. Heydon Hall is located 1000m west of the site and is a Grade II* listed Registered Park and Garden. 2.8 The nearest Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) is the Cawston and Marsham Heaths SSSI which is located approximately 2.8km south east of the site. September 2020 4 Docking Farm Solar Project Planning, Design and Access Statement 3 The Development Proposal 3.1 This section sets out the proposed development, and the design and access elements of the scheme. 3.2 Given the vast number of renewable energy technologies available today, solar technology is one of the most favourable and is highly suited to the proposed site. Solar PV technology is relatively unobtrusive, sympathetic to the surrounding area, easy to deploy, commercially proven and reliable whilst making best use of the land. 3.3 The proposed development consists of a number of different elements which are detailed below. Solar Panels 3.4 The solar pv panels proposed will be a standard polycrystalline type which are intended for the daylight levels at this site. The installation is free draining through perimeter gaps around all panels and dispersed rainwater runoff. The proposal will comprise the installation of photovoltaic (PV) panels laid out in arrays of rows running from east to west across the site, the number of these will be dictated by the finalised layout. The height of the panels will be at a maximum of 3 meters above the ground. 3.5 The mounting structure for the panels is a metal frame securely fixed to the ground. It must be capable of withstanding appropriate environmental stresses for the location, such as wind or snow loading. The panels will be fixed on the mounting frame. The structure will also provide a route for electrical wiring. 3.6 The solar panels will be installed at 25° from the horizontal. The rows will be placed at an appropriate distance apart (likely to be around 5 metres) in order to optimise solar collection per unit land area. 3.7 The mounting posts will be pile-driven approximately 1.5 metres into the ground for support, dependent on ground conditions and will be easily retrieved using similar hydraulic equipment when the solar farm is decommissioned, and the land reinstated back to agricultural land. Such supporting systems are designed to avoid the use of mass concrete foundations on site. Infrastructure 3.8 The development will also require the installation of associated infrastructure required for the running of a solar farm which includes: • 2 x Substation and DNO substation – Maximum height of 3.8m. (14.64sqm each) • 3 x Battery storage containers – Maximum height of 3m. (29.28sqm each) • 6 x Inverter transformers – Maximum height of 3.5m. (14.77sqm each) • 21 x CCTV cameras – Maximum height of 3m. • Perimeter fence – Maximum height of 2.5m. 3.9 Many of the above items are housed within a GRP type enclosure which can be colour coded to an appropriate colour if considered necessary. The site perimeter fence is typically constructed using wooden posts and wire mesh. Additional planting will be introduced for screening purposes where necessary. September 2020 5 Docking Farm Solar Project Planning, Design and Access Statement 3.10 The installation of CCTV will be required onsite for insurance purposes. The CCTV will be capable of viewing the solar pv farm only (without panning angles beyond). No floodlighting will be used as the CCTV cameras detect movement and have night vision capability in accordance with insurer's requirements. These will allow for constant monitoring but will be positioned in such a way to prevent areas outside the site being monitored. The CCTV camera poles will likely be constructed in galvanised steel. As much of the equipment as possible will be colour coordinated with the landscape. Where possible it will be green in colour. 3.11 It is proposed that wildflower mix will be planted underneath the panels. Grid Connection 3.12 The solar farm will be connected to the grid via the existing 33kV overhead lines which cross the site. In addition, there is a UK Power Network’s requirement for the project to be connected to the existing substation to the north-west of the solar farm (labelled ESS on the proposed site layout plan) via a fibreoptic cable.