Minutes:
Question
Generating renewable energy is a good thing. We must ensure though that in our quest to tackle climate change, there aren't adverse effects in other areas. This solar farm site is classed as a BMV site - Best and Most Versatile - as it falls within grades 2 and 3a of the Agricultural Land Classification. It was being used for both cattle and crops. The NPPF specifically states that if agricultural land has to be used, it should be poorer quality, which this isn't. Why is prime agricultural land being used against Government advice?
Answer
The Council cannot hope to reach carbon neutral within ten years without making some difficult decisions and implementing some significant interventions; including the delivery of four solar farms with the potential to generate in excess of 20MWP under target 12 of the Climate Emergency Action Plan. A 20MWP solar farm is a large scale facility and will require access to in excess of 20ha of land. In respect to the ‘Target 12 solar farms’ therefore the Council has looked across its larger landholdings; having regard also to the emerging development plan for the Borough and the current planning and BRE guidance in respect to commercial scale ground mounted solar PV. The potential for this project to contribute towards the CEAP is clear, as outlined within the Executive report. WBC do not have control of four alternatively preferable sites of significant scale to facilitate delivery against this fundamental CEAP target.
The planning application has now been submitted and is awaiting determination by the Local Planning Authority (LPA). It will be for the LPA to balance the wider environmental benefits against the temporary change of use of the agricultural land for a 25-year period, having regard to all the local and national guidance.
I would also add that we are also looking at generation on smaller land sites and also looking at solar farms on our other assets, such as our schools which has already begun, our property estates and our car parks as well as other assets. There is a great deal of additional complexity in doing so though, not least of which is getting a national grid connection to ensure that energy is not lost, wasted or discharged dangerously.
Supplementary Question
I am pleased to hear about the car dual use actually. There is a risk that at the end of use as a solar farm after 25 years this site may not be restored to the prime agricultural land it currently is and I am concerned about the risk of a change of use that could classify it potentially as brownfield. So, there is a possibility that it could be classified as a brownfield site which means houses. What is this local authority doing to mitigate against this risk of a change of use after the solar farm is gone?
Supplementary Answer
It is a really interesting point that you raise Sarah. Yes, there is the potential risk that it might be classified as a brownfield site at the end of its use but my understanding of planning guidance, and the regulations in relation to this, is that we will not be the authority that determines whether or not it will become a brownfield site. It will come down to national planning guidance that would determine that, not us as a Borough.
My personal intention would be that it returns to being farming or it continues as being a solar farm long into the future. But we cannot guarantee that right now. All we can guarantee is that by turning it into a solar farm right now it is not going to be turned into housing right now, which definitely would never be returned to farming use in 25 years’ time.
So, my personal view is that I would much rather take the potential that it might become a brownfield site over the actual of it becoming housing.