Solar farm approved subject to maintenance plan

Plans for a large solar farm in North Yorkshire have been approved, pending a maintenance plan being agreed.

The 80 hectares of agricultural land, north of Brompton-on-Swale, near Richmond, is within 1,300 ft (400m) of an existing solar farm at Skeeby, described as Yorkshire's largest.

The cumulative impact on the area had been raised as a concern by Brompton-on-Swale Parish Council in an official objection to the scheme.

However, planning officer Emma Howson said in a report: "The importance of renewable energy and solar development as part of the UK's energy mix is considered to be a key component in decarbonising the power system."

"The proposed development would have a capacity of 39.3MW of energy and as set out in the accompanying planning statement, can produce enough clean, renewable energy to power approximately 120,000 homes," she added.

She concluded the contribution made by the development attracts "substantial weight in favour".

The officer said Natural England had been consulted and had not raised any objections on the impact of two solar farms in the area.

No harms were identified in relation to archaeology, highways, residential amenity and flood risk for the two parcels of land, either side of the A1(M), she said.

The scheme would connect directly into an existing substation near Skeeby, with the distribution network a "key factor" in the choice of location, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Following a meeting on Tuesday, members of North Yorkshire's strategic planning committee approved the proposal, "subject to the completion of a maintenance plan to be agreed with the applicant and Planning Officers prior to the commencement of the development".

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