Councillors on East Riding Council’s planning committee have discussed plans for a major solar project proposed for land east of Beverley. The committee discussed the Peartree Hill Solar Farm proposals, the future of which will not be decided locally in the East Riding, but by the national Planning Inspectorate.
The proposals include a 320MW solar farm that would cover 891 hectares of land – bigger than areas of Monaco and Gibraltar combined. The plans also include a battery energy storage system (BESS).
The site is spread across much of the land that sits east of Beverley and north of Hull, around the settlements of Tickton, Meaux, and Weel. The plan is split into five areas, Land Areas B to F.
When explaining the positives the solar farm could provide, planning documents state: “In addition to meeting the urgent national need for secure and affordable low-carbon energy infrastructure the proposed development will deliver wider benefits to the environment and the local community.”
As the proposed solar farm is over 50MW it is deemed a ‘Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project’ and as a result is decided by the Planning Inspectorate rather than the local authority, which in this case would be East Riding Council. Despite not being the deciding body, the council can choose to submit a report to the Inspectorate explaining the impact the proposal could have on the local area. The report also gives the council the chance to voice any concerns or objections.
This week, the council’s planning committee met to discuss the report which had been prepared by officers. The committee made it known during the meeting that if the decision was to be made locally, it would be refused.
Cllr David Nolan (Labour – Hessle ward) pointed to the name of the site being ‘Peartree Hill Plantation’. The councillor said: “This sounds very rural, rustic, and managed for agricultural use as you would expect, but in fact what we have here is a monstrous mega sprawl of industrial panels.”
Cllr Nolan also shared concerns over the process by which the project could be approved. He said: “As elected councillors, I do think we have a role to represent residents and to vote on major planning applications, and this is as big as it gets.”
This notion was shared by the leader of the Liberal Democrats at East Riding Council, Cllr Denis Healy (St Mary’s ward). He said: “It almost feels as though we’ve been dragged here just for the sake of it because of the requirements, just to be told what’s going to happen.”
Cllr Healy feared that submitting the council’s report would make the council “complicit in this process” before adding: “I don’t want to be complicit in this process. I think it absolutely stinks.”
As the committee were discussing plans, they in reality have little to no control over, Cllr Michael Lee (Conservative – Driffield and Rural ward), described the meeting as: “Probably the most unusual planning meeting I’ve ever been to.” Ultimately, the committee agreed to submit a report to the Planning Inspectorate which states they would refuse the proposals if they were able to, which they are not.
By: Andrew Spence, LDRS
