Perrinpit Solar Farm
Drawing on Green Belt case law
Demonstrating thoughtful micro-siting of infrastructure to minimise visual impact
Securing buy-in from political stakeholders
The site lay within the Bristol Green Belt and faced considerable objection from technical consultees in relation to landscape impacts and the use of higher grade agricultural land. The design of the scheme needed to be carefully designed in order to address stringent planning policy tests in relation to the Green Belt and to achieve the support of the local community.
CHALLENGE
Having been engaged onto the project after the planning submission we had to address the serious concerns raised by the Council in respect of the Green Belt designation and the landscape impacts of the proposals. There were also numerous Public Rights of Way that had to be considered.
SOLUTION
The scale of the proposals was reduced in order to avoid the most prominent parts of the site and to reduce the overall visibility. Proposals for a new permissive path were also put forward which improved accessibility across the site for local people.
LESSONS LEARNED
The final design of the project was the direct result of meaningful consultation with technical consultees and the local community. This collaborative approach demonstrated the value in achieving the ‘buy-in’ from key stakeholders including the Parish Council and ultimately led to a strong application which was unanimously approved at Planning Committee.
