The National Solar Centre (NSC) has joined up with the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) to run a series of six roadshows to help explain the new solar planning guidelines to local planning officials.
In a letter to local authorities, energy minister Greg Barker said: “I am keen for the focus of growth to be firmly on domestic and commercial roof space and previously-used land…However, I am very aware of concerns raised by the public about the potential growth of large-scale solar farms, particularly where approval does not appear to take full account of the latest planning guidance.”
Barker continued: “The NSC will be holding a series of seminars across the autumn and winter which will allow the opportunity to discuss in more detail the various factors which should be considered in siting large scale solar PV projects. I hope that these seminars will be a valuable resource for you and your staff.”
The seminars will be free to attend but the organisers have warned that places are limited, making pre-booking essential. Below are the confirmed dates and venues for each of the roadshows:
- York Racecourse, 20 November
- Huntingdon Racecourse, 22 November
- Wincanton Racecourse, 25 November
- Sandown Racecourse, 2 December
- Chester Racecourse, 9 December
- Exeter Racecourse, 10 December
Further details and online booking can be found here.