Issue - meetings

            That planning permission be refused for the reasons detailed in the report of the Chief Officer (Planning and Environment). 

The Committee considered the report of the Chief Officer (Planning and Environment) in respect of this application which had been the subject of a site visit on 21^st March 2016.  The usual consultations had been undertaken and the responses received detailed in the report.  Additional comments received since the preparation of the report were circulated at the meeting. 

            The officer detailed the background to the report and said that he was aware that the applicant had circulated a letter to the Committee Members, which had been summarised in the late observations.  The site was in open countryside, in the green barrier and was on best and most versatile agricultural land (BMV) and that there was therefore no precedent made in granting permission for a solar farm at Weighbridge Road, Shotwick.  

            Mr. J. Owens spoke against the application on behalf of the 11 families in houses which formed ‘The Bowry’ which were the nearest properties to the site.  He felt that there were a number of errors in the original documentation and some misleading photographs of the site which he detailed.  He commented on hand delivered leaflets which none of the residents at The Bowry had received and neither had any residents on Deeside Lane and suggested that there had not been any two-way communications on the application.  He spoke of a property that had been reported to be nearest to the site at over 400 metres away but The Bowry was only 50 metres from the site boundary; on the new diagram the site came right to the boundary of The Bowry.  He said that it was been reported that the site was on land to the east of Deeside Lane but it was to the west.  He added that the main issue was that the area was not an industrial area and residents wanted it to stay that way.              

            Mr. E. Ramsey-Smith spoke in support of the application.  He said that he was optimistic that the Committee would use its privileged position and independent judgement in order to future proof job creation and solve the power shortage problem on Deeside which was currently a barrier for future investors considering relocating to the area.  He trusted that common sense would prevail and that Members would vote positively on the application.  He spoke of the planning officer’s comments on the site being best and most versatile land and the green barrier impacts as a reason to recommend refusal of the application although this contradicted the recent approval on the grounds of economic benefit of the solar farm at Weighbridge Road which was ten times the size of this site.  In the unlikely event of a refusal, the applicant had robust legal opinion that the applications would be allowed on appeal.  The location process was driven by it being sited close to the 11kv grid location in Deeside and the Local Planning Authority officers had offered no alternative sites nor had they conducted a sequential analysis study or  ...  view the full minutes text for item 153