A four-day public hearing is set to take place as developer Boom Power appeals the planning rejection for a solar project in Yorkshire.
Boom Power had submitted a planning application to Wakefield Council for a 22.4MW solar PV power plant, to be located on 133 acres of land in Sitlington, Yorkshire, in June 2023. However, the council issued a rejection decision in April 2024, citing a number of reasons for the refusal.
Among the reasons given for refusing to grant planning permissions was the location of 8.8 hectares of best and most versatile (BMV) agricultural land, the loss of which the council states “is not considered to be outweighed by the renewable energy and biodiversity benefits arising from the proposed development”, as well as concerns about interrupting the green belt, impacts on the visual character of the local landscape, and worries about noise.
In response, the developers have submitted an appeal to the council, disputing serval points made by planning officers. Boom Power claims that it believes the council has incorrectly established the heritage balance of the area and notes that other issues mentioned in the council’s decision to refuse planning permission are “complex, inter-related” concerns that “need to be investigated further, and this would be better done orally”.
Additionally, the developer response notes that historically, Natural England has rarely objected to the use of less than 20 hectares of BMV for a solar development, adding that lower-quality land was sought and discounted first, and that the rent paid by the solar farm would far exceed any profit that could be made from agricultural activities on the 8 hectares of BMV used for the development, thus supporting rather than hindering farmers in the area. Objections were also raised about the council’s assessment of potential noise impacts, as well as the nature of many complaints raised by locals about the potential impact on historic buildings that sit well outside the site development boundary.
The developers have also offered to amend their plans to add extra hedgerows surrounding the proposed development, further shielding the solar PV power plant from view from the wider countryside.
A four-day public inquiry to determine if planning permission should, in fact, be granted will be held in Wakefield starting on 25 March 2025.
As of the time of publication, Boom Power has not responded to a request for comment from Solar Power Portal.
Another appeal win for Boom Power?
This is not the first time Boom Power has had planning permission initially denied, and on one recent occasion it had its fortunes reversed upon submitting an appeal.
In September 2023, the developer successfully appealed Basildon Borough Council’s choice to reject planning permission for the 25.6MW Crays Hall Solar Farm near Billericay, Essex. Much like the Wakefield proposal, the Crays Hall Solar Farm was initially refused permission due to concerns over the integrity of the green belt, local countryside, and visual characteristics of the surrounding area. The choice to grant the appeal was credited to the 94% biodiversity net gain for the project site, as well as the lack of suitable other sites in the Basildon area.
