Solar farm near Yorkshire Sculpture Park set for approval
The development, which would be in place for up to 40 years, includes installing solar panels up to 9ft (2.8m) in height, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.A council report said the solar farm, stretching across 55 hectares of open countryside, would be visible from parts of the sculpture park.The plan also includes laying an underground cable from the farm to a substation at Woolley Grange to connect to the National Grid.Both sites would be surrounded by 2m-high fencing and protected by a CCTV system.Those against the plan cited the detrimental impact it could have on "uniquely picturesque" surroundings.Woolley Parish Council said the proposal could "impact dwellings in the local area" and have an "unacceptable impact on landscape character."Other concerns raised included the potential loss of wildlife habitats, loss of agricultural land and an increased flood risk, while some called for the site to be based on brownfield land in the district.
Applicant Boom Power said the biodiversity of the site could be "significantly improved" by the development.A total of 35 comments of support were made in favour of the proposal.Supporters said the facility would "sit comfortably within the application site and wider landscape" and "help to provide a more stable price for energy in the country".A planning officer's report acknowledged the scheme would "cause harm to nearby heritage assets," but added: "The public benefits of providing renewable energy that could power appropriately 11,700 homes and save 7,300 tonnes of CO2 is considered to outweigh this harm."The report said the harm would be "relatively easy to reverse, though would be present over a prolonged period of 40 years".Last month, Boom Power's plans for a solar farm within the same council ward near to the villages Middlestown, Overton and Netherton were approved following a public inquiry.
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