Agenda item

Formation of solar farm including installation of solar panels, security fencing, CCTV cameras, an internal access track, underground cabling,

invertors, substations, grid connection, environmental enhancement measures and other ancillary development.

The Committee considered a report of the Senior Planning Officer regarding an application for the formation of a solar farm including installation of solar panels, security fencing, CCTV cameras, an internal access track, underground cabling, invertors, substations, grid connection, environmental enhancement measures and other ancillary development on land west of Trimdon House Lodge, Fishburn (for copy see file of Minutes).

The Senior Planning Officer gave a detailed presentation of the application which included a site location plan, aerial photograph, proposed site layout, site photographs of the existing solar panels and other site photographs.  Members had previously attended a site visit.

Ms K Morgan, landowner addressed the Committee. Ms Morgan informed the Committee that she was married to Philip Morgan.  Philip and his brother were the third generation to farm West House Farm,  growing costs and variable markets for produce resulted in making a living and support a family on a farm of this size increasingly difficult.

The land quality of the proposed site was marginal and was now severely affected by rye grass reducing both the yield and quality of arable crops.  The rye grass was now highly resistant to herbicides which had been confirmed following analysis.  This meant that the feasibility of the proposed sites to grow cereals was now borderline.

The proposed solar development was a unique opportunity to farm electricity and return fields to grass, which they were previously when the farm was operating as a dairy farm and would allow the farm business to be diversified.

Wildlife and the environment were important and sheep would be grazed around the solar panels, ensuring the land continued to be in agricultural use.  Ms Morgan asked the Committee to support the application.

Mr R Hillman addressed the Committee.  The West Farm Solar Project had received support from local groups including the Fishburn Flying and Shooting Clubs which would be some of the nearest neighbours to this project.  Over 100 letters of support had been received and Fishburn Parish Council had voted unanimously to support the project.  Discussions had taken place in the local community by holding two pre-application community open days in June 2022 and February 2023.  Local residents had the opportunity to review and feedback their comments on the project and the applicant had continued to engage with the Parish Council to reach agreement on a community benefit fund that could over the 40-year life of the project deliver much needed investment of approximately £1m to the Fishburn area.

During construction the project would support around 100 jobs and throughout its operational life a further 10 to 15 roles would be created through ongoing maintenance and management.  Wherever possible local labour and facilities would be used and this would contribute to economic growth within the local area.  The project would deliver approximately £4m through business rates over the life of the project.  There was sufficient land available to install over 40 megawatts of clean energy which was enough resource to produce nearly 60,000 megawatt hours of energy per year, equivalent to the power consumed by over twenty thousand houses.  This was approximately half the number of households in the City of Durham.  It was fully recognised that energy, agriculture and biodiversity were important to the UK and County Durham and by working closely with the landowners at Fishburn had have sought to deliver a balanced proposal which integrated all three land uses.  It would help two farming families diversify their income from the land and over a sustained period of time reduce reliance on volatile markets and increasing fuel and fertilizer costs.  County Durham had just over 36 000 hectares of land that was used for arable production.  The Fishburn solar Park was 75 hectares which represented only 0.2 per cent of the arable land in County Durham.  The proposal had officer recommendation for approval, had Parish Council and community support and had been rigorously examined and tested by Council experts and found to be compliant with guidance and policy.

Councillor M Currah informed the Committee he had sought further details about the finances associated with the project and questioned whether the proposed benefit to be given back to the community was a fair amount.  Mr Hillman replied that a significant level of investment was needed at the development stage which was at the risk of the applicant.  The Regulatory and Enforcement Senior Lawyer advised the Committee that the profitability of the scheme was not a valid planning consideration and urged Members not take this into account when determining the application.  Contributions could only be sought to make a development acceptable and in this case any proposed contribution was voluntary.

Councillor Peeke queried the lifespan of the solar panels.  Mr Hillman replied that the panels would have a warranty against defects of between 12 and 15 years.  The panels after 25 years produced approximately 80 to 90 percent of original capacity.  There was a lot of recyclable material within the panels.

Councillor C Martin congratulated the applicant in achieving community consensus and welcomed the proposed community contribution, although he agreed this seemed to be low.  Councillor Martin moved approval of the application.

Councillor J Atkinson seconded approval of the application.

Resolved:

That the application be approved subject to the Conditions contained in the report.</AI7>

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