Consultation Launched to Inform Solar Energy Planning Approach

The District Council will launch the consultation on Monday 29 July and it will run for 8 weeks until 23 September, seeking views from local residents, landowners, developers, town and parish councils and other interested parties.

The number of solar projects is increasing in line with the Government’s goal to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, with the aim of reaching 70 gigawatt (GW) of solar energy by 2035 (up from 15.7 GW at the end of 2023). Newark and Sherwood declared a climate emergency in July 2019 and one of its core policies states its commitment to tackling the causes and impacts of climate change

District Council planning policy must accord with National planning policy which currently says that planning permission will be granted for renewable and low carbon energy generation development where its benefits are not outweighed by other detrimental impacts such as on the landscape, heritage assets, highways, ecology, important aviation and amenity. The purpose of this new document will be to provide further detail on how these impacts will be considered as part of any planning application.

Councillor Matthew Spoors, Portfolio Holder for Economic Development and Visitors, said: “It’s important to us that we listen to and acknowledge the voices of local people in putting this document together whilst at the same time acknowledging that any policy we develop must also accord with national planning policy. While we want to work with partners and developers to promote and support appropriate energy generation from renewable and low-carbon sources, these developments must also address and where possible mitigate adverse impacts.  Renewable energy generation is important. Protection of the highest quality agricultural land, landscape impacts, and flood risk is also important; that’s why this document is so vital as we need to get the balance right.”

Some solar farms are so large in scale that they are considered to be of national importance and therefore they are regarded as Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs). These are decided on by the relevant Secretary of State rather than the local authority. However, the District Council will be invited to submit comments on proposals through a Local Impact Report (LIR). Affected communities are also able to comment to the Planning Inspectorate, appointed on behalf of the Secretary of State, to any NSIP proposals.

The consultation can be found, from Monday 29 July, at www.newark-sherwooddc.gov.uk/consultations