Appeal against Partridge Farm/Church Lane Solar Power Station

An appeal has been received by Ashford Borough Council (ABC) in respect of the Church Lane/Partridge Farm Solar Power Station. The original planning application, submitted last year by Eco Energy World  to construct 60 acre power station, was rejected by the Council in July 2014 as an incongruous and insensitive form of development within the open rolling countryside. You can check out the original planning application and the appeal documents at http://planning.ashford.gov.uk using application reference number 14/00398/AS.

We have recently seen planning applications for two solar power stations at Hothfield and Kennardington that had been previously declined by ABC, overturned on appeal by the Planning Inspectorate. Local opinion is important and will be taken into consideration in the appeal decision. In both the Hothfield and Kennardington cases it was felt that local opposition to the plans waned and that this may have contributed to the negative appeal decision. It is therefore essential that we register our objections with the Planning Inspectorate by the 25th March. How you do this?

• Write to the Planning Inspectorate with your objections/comments in triplicate at Temple Quay House, 2 The Square, Temple Quay, Bristol, BS1 6PN
• Quote appeal reference number APP/E2205/W/15/3003125

Even if you objected to the original application it is important that you register your objections again.We will explore some of the reasons why we think that the appeal should be rejected later in this blog and of course there is the fear that other applications for the other two proposed solar power stations at Bank Farm could follow, in the event of a successful appeal.

The Church Lane Solar Power Station will be discussed at the Parish Council Meeting on Monday 9th March at the Aldington Eco Centre in Goldwell Lane (just round the corner from the Village Hall). As a parishoner you are encouraged to attend.

If you were in any doubt about the affects of a solar power station on our rural environment, here are the before and after pictures from Kennardington.

It is claimed by Solar Power Station developers that their sites can also be used for agricultural purposes such as grazing during their operation and can be returned to agricultural use at the end of their 25 year lifespan. In the case of Kennardington, hundereds of tons of aggregate was used to stabalise the ground and it is evident that the future agricultural value of this land will be very limited.

What are the grounds for objection?

• Loss of productive agricultural land. The Secretary of State for Climate Change, Greg Barker has stated that ”the focus of growth in Solar Energy, to be firmly on domestic and commercial roof space and previously used land”. The proposed site at Partridge Farm/Church Lane is productive agricultural land and is only being considered for a solar development because of the generous subsidies currently available from the Government.

• Loss of rural environment for current and future generations. The Solar Trade Association of which Eco Energy World Ltd are a member, states in its best practice guidelines that visual impact of any development should be minimized by avoiding extensive views into the site from roads, public rights of way, and hillsides. The proposed development at Partridge Farm/Church Lane is located in a valley and will be visible over a wide area, in particular from the elevated land to the south. The detrimental effect on the rural aspect caused by the proposed solar development would change the rural nature of a significant area of Aldington Parish for present and future generations.

• Loss of rural amenity. The proposed site is bounded by a number of well used footpaths, including one beside the River Stour. The far reaching views across open countryside enjoyed by residents will be obscured by the proposed Solar Power Station and result in a significant loss of amenity.

• Traffic chaos and noise pollution along narrow country lanes. The constuction of the solar power station will involve hundreds of HGV movements and in particular it is proposed that 16.5m HGVs will access the site via Church Lane from the south (from Aldington Church).This will have significant detrimental effects on other road users and residents posing a significant risk to walkers, cyclists and riders alike.