The NPPF presents an interesting planning policy dilemma – the desirability of supporting renewable energy projects against the desirability of safeguarding green belt land.
We were asked to tackle one such situation, where a landowner wanted to construct ground-mounted solar panels within the Green Belt.
Paragraph 91 of the NPPF states that when located in the Green Belt, many renewable energy projects will comprise inappropriate development.
In such cases, it is important to demonstrate very special circumstances which may include wider environmental benefits associated with increased production of energy from renewable sources.
We were able to demonstrate that the solar panels would have a limited impact on the appearance and openness of the Green Belt. This limited impact was outweighed by the demonstrable environmental benefits associated with the solar panels.
We are pleased to announce that planning permission has now been granted for the solar panels.
Please contact us if you would like to discuss how we could help you.