Representation by Lichfield District Council (Lichfield District Council)
- Date submitted
- 3 May 2024
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
An application for a solar and energy storage project has been submitted to the Inspectorate, and it has been accepted. The project is located within South Derbyshire District Council’s area. Lichfield District Council has been identified as a relevant local authority for the purposes of Section 56 of the Act and/or Regulation 16 of the Infrastructure Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017. A letter has been received inviting Lichfield District Council to register as an interested party with the Inspectorate if it wishes to submit comments on the application (referred to as a ‘Relevant Representation’). The Council wishes to provide the following as a ‘Relevant Representation’. It is noted that the southernmost edge of the proposed development will be located around 1.2km from the northernmost edge of Lichfield’s district area. The southernmost edge of the development lies to the immediate north of a seemingly unnamed road that runs east/west through open countryside, past a property/premises identified (by Google in May 2024) as Donkhill Farm, Swadlincote, DE12 8LW. The northernmost edge of Lichfield’s district area lies within a field to the north of a settlement called Edingale. Taking a single track road known as Pessall Lane north from within Edingale eventually reaches a Public Right of Way (named Edingale 2). This track runs past a substation (to the west) and two farmsteads containing a dwelling and a number of buildings. Beyond this, the path runs through two fields, the second of which contains a pond, and after around 450m reaches a field boundary where the footpath heads eastward and follows the district border. As stated, this vantage point is 1.2km from the closest part of the development site. The closest part of the development site is shown on the submitted drawings as containing a PV array. Due to the distance between the vantage point and the development site within South Derbyshire District Council’s authority area, and the nature of the development (i.e., ground-based panels), the proposal will have no visual impact from the closest part of Lichfield’s district to the development. Consideration has been given as to whether any distant, or very distant, views may be attained of the site from an elevated position within Lichfield’s district. It is noted that it may be possible for members of the public to visit Lichfield’s cathedral and access the spire. Officers note from Street View images taken in June 2023 on the road immediately south of the site, that there may be a line of sight between the solar farm area and the cathedral. As the crow flows, the distance between the two comfortably exceeds 10km. This is not considered to represent a cause for concern, or harm. It is clear that views from the cathedral will not be sufficiently elevated or clear enough such that the development will appear as a prominent, dominating intrusion within the landscape. Again, this is due to the development constituting ground-based solar panels, rather than something much taller like a wind turbine. It might be argued that the panels may ‘glare’ in the sunshine and thus draw attention to the development. It is noted that modern panels tend to be made from low-reflective materials in an effort to address concerns mainly revolving around local amenity, rather than visual impact. This could easily be conditioned as part of any subsequent permission, should it be granted, and the Council robustly encourages this due to the quantity of panels proposed. Therefore, it is unlikely that glare will cause the PV array to become unduly prominent within the landscape. Consideration has been given to traffic and disruption during construction phases. It is noted that the most likely routing plan for construction traffic will involve large vehicles leaving the A38 at the Alrewas/Arboretum exit and using the A513 to head east and then north-east to reach the southernmost portions of the site. This route does not take large vehicles through any settlements within Lichfield’s district, and thus will not cause notable disruption or harm to the highway network in this locality or living conditions of Lichfield’s residents. An alternative route which avoids Lichfield’s district altogether is available; from the A38 at the Barton-under-Needwood/Walton-on-Trent exit. There is an easy connection to the site southwards along Catton Road, which runs to the east of the River Trent. However, this will require large vehicles to go through Walton-on-Trent, and is unlikely to be the preferred option, so it is expected that the Alrewas exit will be utilised, but this should not be problematic, and the Council raises no objections. To conclude, Lichfield District Council raises no concerns or objections to the application as submitted to the Inspectorate. It is not considered to be likely to have any notable impact on the district in terms of infrastructure, visual or amenity harm, due to the distance the site is from the Council’s boundary, and the provision of a safe route from the A38 to the site which avoids any settlements.