Government will not review solar farm decision
The government will not review the approval of plans to build a solar farm on green belt land near Guildford.
The University of Surrey was granted permission to build the facility on a 43-hectare site west of Blackwell Farm, Hog's Back, in November.
Godalming and Ash MP Jeremy Hunt, who requested the approval be reviewed by the government, said he was "disappointed" by the Secretary of State's decision not to call it in.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has been contacted for comment.
Hunt said in a social media post he was "disappointed" to receive confirmation that Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner had decided the application would not be called in for determination.
He said he, along with Compton Parish Council, had requested the review due to the prominence of the site and because some of the land had been recommended for inclusion in the Surrey Hills National Landscape as a part of an expansion consultation.
The letter from the government department said Rayner was content that the decision should be made by the local planning authority, Guildford Borough Council.
Hunt added that the deadline for the Surrey Hills National Landscape ended in December and he was awaiting confirmation of next steps from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
A spokesperson for the University of Surrey said the application "was never likely to be called in" and that the council's decision came at the end of an "extensive and consultative" 18-month planning process.
They added: "Our project is firmly in line with local and national planning policy priorities.
"We regret the three-month delay, but now look forward to proceeding with our plans to deliver clean, green energy for our campus."
The Students' Union submitted a letter of support for the application, but about 100 local residents and 15 other groups had sent letters of objection.
Guildford Borough Council has been contacted for further comment.
Follow BBC Surrey on Facebook, and on X. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.
Battery storage site approved in green belt field
MP asks government to review solar farm decision
Plans for university solar farm granted approval
Guildford Borough Council
University of Surrey
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
E&E News
5 days ago
- E&E News
Britain prepares to go all-in on nuclear power — after years of dither
LONDON — Philip Hunt, the unassuming Labour peer put in charge of rejuvenating U.K. nuclear energy, has a favorite joke about how slowly the industry moves. Hunt — who was first an energy minister from 2008-2010 and retired from his second stint in government just last month — liked to roll out the gag at Westminster receptions, according to one industry figure who saw him in action. 'I came back after 14 years,' the minister would say, 'and everything was exactly as I left it.' Advertisement It was a way to bash the Conservatives' decade-and-a-half in power, but also an admission of the glacial pace of the nuclear world.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Yahoo
Impact of 'volatile' Australian dollar on RBA interest rate cuts: 'Unusual'
The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has noticed the Australian dollar isn't behaving the way it normally does during periods of global uncertainty. It said it will be keeping a close eye on it just weeks ahead of it meeting again to set interest rates. The Aussie dollar plummeted after Trump's liberation day announcement, dropping to below 60 US cents. But, it has now rebounded, sitting between 64 and 65 US cents and rising above 65 cents overnight. The Motley Fool's chief investment officer Scott Phillips told Yahoo Finance we were seeing global volatility for almost all currencies due to the uncertainty surrounding the long-term impact of Trump's tariffs. RELATED Sign RBA could deliver three interest rate cuts in 2025 following GDP data $4,400 ATO car tax deduction that most Aussies miss: 'Easy win' Centrelink $1,011 cash boost for Aussie farmers doing it tough 'Currencies are always volatile, but the market is trying to work out a few things at once,' he said. 'One is the likely future of the economy. The second is the likely future of the stock market and therefore the bond market. And as a result of all that, work out how much the currency is worth. 'That's why it's so difficult because there are so many moving parts and things are changing so rapidly. That's why you see a lot of whip soaring.' RBA assistant governor Sarah Hunter said the Aussie dollar had been behaving differently against the greenback than expected. 'When the outlook for global growth weakens, the Australian dollar typically depreciates as investors expect our economy to be buffeted by the global headwinds and the RBA to respond with cuts to the cash rate,' she said in a speech at the Economic Society of Australian Business Lunch this week. The fact that the Aussie dollar is a 'risk-sensitive' currency also contributes to the depreciation, with global investors tending to focus on reducing risk exposure and moving capital to low-risk assets in countries like the US, Switzerland and Japan when they are worried. 'While the initial response of the Australian dollar during the current episode was in line with historical experience, the recent recovery against the US dollar in particular has been more unusual,' Hunt said. Hunt said this was partly due to weakness in the US dollar. "We'll be monitoring how these channels play out over time,' she said. The RBA can influence the exchange rate using interest rate decisions and interest rate decisions are also impacted by the dollar, Phillips said. The RBA can also buy and sell Australian dollars in the open market to influence the exchange rate. 'On the flip side, they may choose to move rates because of where the currency is, if they want to impact the level of the currency and they will generally only do that at extremes,' Phillips said. 'Their preference is to let the currency float and find its own level because markets generally get this right and if the market is determined to move a currency one direction or another, there's so much money in private capital markets, it's incredibly hard for a central bank to stop that.' Phillips said the RBA in the short-term wants stability of the currency because the more stable it is, the more confidence individuals and businesses have within Australia, and in dealing with the Australian dollar. 'If you're not sure where the currency is going to be, you tend to be less likely to want to trade it or invest in it, or buy from it. That can impact the broader economy because it impacts our imports and exports,' he said. Phillips said the RBA cared about currency, but would be putting more weight on the health of the economy, inflation and the potential impacts from the global economy. Economic growth was weaker than expected in the March quarter, with the economy growing just 0.2 per cent, down from 0.6 per cent in the December quarter. Economic activity increased by just 1.3 per cent over the year to March. The RBA had forecast annual GDP growth of 1.8 per cent by the end of the June quarter. Australia's annual inflation rate was 2.4 per cent in April, unchanged from the previous quarter. Underlying inflation edged higher to 2.8 per cent, up from 2.6 per cent in March. 'The currency matters to the extent that impacts happen in the broader economy. The biggest impact of the dollar is trade flows,' Phillips said. 'If the dollar is lower, it's great for our exporters because it makes Australian products more competitive on the international market, and it's bad for our importers and it is also bad for inflation. 'A higher dollar is worse for our exporters because it makes Australian products less competitive, but it is better for our importers and it's better for inflation.' Phillips said the RBA would be wanting stability and if it feels like currency is massively overvalued or massively undervalued then it would take action, but usually not by rates alone. 'More often than not, their direct intervention tends to be buying and selling Australian dollars," he said. "But rates will be part of that story, if they believe that moving the interest rate can impact the currency without having deleterious effects on the physical economy itself." Market pricing on the chance of the RBA delivering another 0.25 per cent cut at its July meeting increased from 74 to 81 per cent following the national accounts data in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Yahoo
Replacement chosen for Washington state senator who died
(Photo Courtesy of Victoria Hunt campaign) Democratic state Rep. Victoria Hunt will move from the House to the Senate in the Washington Legislature after the King County Council appointed her on Tuesday to replace the late Sen. Bill Ramos. The council also chose Zach Hall, an Issaquah City Council member, as Hunt's replacement in the state House. The Senate seat will be on the ballot in a special election in November, with the winner serving through 2026. Hunt is a candidate. Republican Chad Magendanz, a former two-term state representative for the district, is opposing her. Hall will serve through the 2026 election because the appointment is occurring after the filing period for this year's elections closed. Ramos passed away unexpectedly while on a trail run near his home in Issaquah on April 19, a week before the legislative session ended. He was 69. He was elected to the House in 2018 then won a Senate seat last year. Ramos was one of the Legislature's leading voices on transportation issues in the 2025 session. Hunt, a Democrat, was sworn into the Senate shortly after being selected for the seat in the 5th Legislative District which includes parts of Issaquah, Black Diamond, Covington, and part of Snoqualmie. Hunt was elected to the House in 2024. She is a scientist who holds a doctorate in ecology and previously served on the Issaquah City Council. Her seatmate Rep. Lisa Callan, D-Issaquah, endorsed her. 'With these tools and experiences I have been able to advance policies at the state level to meet the needs of our growing community,' Hunt said. Hall was elected to the Issaquah City Council in 2019. Prior to that he was a legislative assistant and a campaign manager for Callan. 'I have the background needed in the district, in the legislature, and in local government,' Hall said, adding that he wants to help build a Washington that's safe, affordable, green and full of opportunities. 'Bill Ramos set a high bar for public service and he had an unstoppable drive for the people of our district and we are all united in our commitment to honor his legacy,' Hall said.
