Agenda item

Approved, subject to various requirements to be set out in the minutes

The Committee considered application 15/00570/F for the erection of 5MW PV Solar Farm and associated infrastructure at Hill Farm, Hill Farm Lane, Duns Tew, Bicester for Earthworm Energy Ltd

Christopher Hall and Christian Smith, local residents, addressed the meeting in support to the application.

Councillor Macnamara proposed that application 15/00570/F be approved, subject to conditions with authority delegated to officers to agree the exact wording. Councillor Kerford-Byrnes seconded the proposal.

In reaching their decision the committee considered the officers’ report, presentation, written update and the address of the public speakers.

Resolved

That application 15/00570/F be approved subject to

 1         That the development to which this permission relates shall be begun not later than the expiration of three years beginning with the date of this permission.

 2         Except where otherwise stipulated by conditions attached to this permission, the development shall be carried out strictly in accordance with the planning application forms together with the following plans and drawings:

            GPP/EW/DT/10/02 Rev. 4

            P111-35 Rev. Draft 4

            1589-DD-003A

 3         This permission shall expire no later than 25 years from the date when electricity is first exported from any part of the hereby approved development to the electricity grid network ('First Export Date'). Written confirmation of the First Export Date shall be provided to the Local Planning Authority no later than 1 calendar month after the event.

 4         Not later than 24 months before the end of this permission, a decommissioning and site restoration scheme shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The approved scheme shall be fully implemented within 12 months of the expiry of this permission

 5         No artificial lighting shall be used as part of the development (either during construction or once operational), and the CCTV system to be used shall only be in accordance with the appearance of the development as shown in the approved plans listed under condition 2.

 6         Prior to the commencement of the development hereby approved, including any demolition and any works of site clearance, an update survey for badgers (no older than six months old), with, if required, the details of any mitigation, development licence and location and timing of the provision of any protective fencing around setts/commuting routes shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. Thereafter, the development shall be carried out in accordance with the approved details.

 7         No removal of hedgerows, trees or shrubs shall take place between the 1st March and 31st August inclusive, unless the Local Planning Authority has confirmed in writing that such works can proceed, based on health and safety reasons in the case of a dangerous tree, or the submission of a recent survey (no older than one month) that has been undertaken by a competent ecologist to assess the nesting bird activity on site, together with details of measures to protect the nesting bird interest on the site.

 8         The development hereby approved shall be carried out strictly in accordance with the details and recommendations for buffer areas, biodiversity enhancements and supervision of works set out in the Extended Phase 1 Habitat Survey submitted with the application (prepared by Resource and Environmental Consultants Ltd dated 18th March 2015).

 9         Prior to first operation of the development hereby approved, a landscaping scheme shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The scheme for landscaping shall include:-

            (a)       details of the proposed tree and shrub planting including their species, number, sizes and positions, together with grassed areas and other planting,

            (b)       details of the existing trees and hedgerows to be retained as well as those to be felled, including existing and proposed soil levels at the base of each tree/hedgerow and the minimum distance between the base of the tree and the nearest edge of any excavation,

            (c)        details of the hard surface areas.

10        Prior to first operation of the development hereby approved, a schedule of landscape management for the duration of the development to include the timing of the implementation of the schedule, management of grassland and landscape features together with replacement of failed planting shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. Thereafter, the landscape maintenance shall be carried out in accordance with the approved schedule.

11        Prior to commencement of development a Construction Traffic Management Plan shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority and thereafter shall be adhered to throughout the period of construction.

12        Prior to any demolition and the commencement of the development a professional archaeological organisation acceptable to the Local Planning Authority shall prepare an Archaeological Written Scheme of Investigation, relating to the application site area, which shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. 

13        Following the approval of the Written Scheme of Investigation referred to in condition 12, and prior to the commencement of the development (other than in accordance with the agreed Written Scheme of Investigation), a staged programme of archaeological evaluation and mitigation shall be carried out by the commissioned archaeological organisation in accordance with the approved Written Scheme of Investigation. The programme of work shall include all processing, research and analysis necessary to produce an accessible and useable archive and a full report for publication which shall be submitted to the Local Planning Authority.

14        The development permitted by this planning permission shall only be carried out in accordance with the approved Flood Risk Assessment (FRA) produced by Hafren Water (ref: 1944/FRA) dated March 2015 and the following mitigation measures as detailed within the FRA:

            1. There will be no PV Arrays and Inverters in Flood Zone 3

            2. The proposed fencing will be of wire construction so that it allows the free flow of flood water

            The mitigation measures shall be fully implemented prior to first operation of the development and subsequently in accordance with the timing / phasing arrangements embodied within the scheme, or within any other period as may subsequently be agreed, in writing, by the local planning authority.

15        No development shall take place until a scheme for the provision and management of a 10 metre wide buffer zone within the site alongside the Deddington Brook shall be submitted to and agreed in writing by the local planning authority. Thereafter the development shall be carried out in accordance with the approved scheme and any subsequent amendments shall be agreed in writing with the local planning authority. The scheme shall include:

            - Plans showing the extent and layout of the buffer zone

            - Details of proposed planting

            - Details demonstrating how the buffer zone will be protected during development and managed/maintained over the longer term

16        Notwithstanding the provisions of Class A of Part 2, Schedule 2 of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 2015 and its subsequent amendments, no gate, fence, wall or other means of enclosure shall be erected, constructed or placed on the site other than those approved as part of this consent without the prior express planning consent of the Local Planning Authority.

17        Notwithstanding the provisions of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 2015 (or any Order amending,

            replacing or re-enacting that Order) no fixed plant or machinery, buildings or structures shall be erected, altered, extended or installed at the site

            without planning permission from the local planning authority except for those works permitted by this permission.

18        Notwithstanding the requirements of conditions and 4 of this planning permission, if any of the individual solar panels hereby permitted ceases to export electricity to the grid for a continuous period of 6 months then a scheme of restoration for the whole site (including the removal of all above and below ground operational development associated with this planning permission) and its reversion back to its previous agricultural use shall be submitted to the local planning authority for its written approval. The approved scheme of restoration shall be fully implemented within 6 months of the date of its written approval by the local planning authority.