Solar farm plan criticised for ‘absence of details’

If approved, the solar farm would generate up to 500MW of power

East Cambridgeshire District Council has questioned the adequacy of a consultation over a planned solar farm. Kingsway Solar Farm will have the capacity to generate up to 500MW when complete and plans include a National Grid connection with 15km of overhead lines between Brinkley and Burwell with pylons every 300 metres or so.

Officers said the “absence of details” meant their “ability to provide substantive and informed comments” was “significantly constrained”. They said it “may be legally debatable that the level of information is not strictly defined” by law, but there was no justification provided for not making it available.

Two potential routes for the pylon corridor were considered – east and west – with the applicant deciding on the east option. But officers said there was “no summary of the ongoing engagement informing the design refinement”, beyond “selected technical aspects” in an environmental report.

They said “it is reasonable to assume” that the initial design refinement “has not considered ongoing engagement or consultation feedback”.

Officers said they had “on several occasions” raised concerns that they weren’t given enough information “to develop an informed view of the likely significant environmental effects of the development”.

They said information such as baseline surveys and technical studies with “principles for effective mitigation” were not made available, “particularly in relation to the topics of heritage, landscape and visual, ecology and trees”.

Officers said that “no visualisation or baseline photographs” were shared and though the applicant acknowledged that re-routing or moving the electrical lines underground “would be the only plausible mitigation”, this was not on the agenda of any consultation event.

They added that there was a “missed opportunity” to fully understand the impact of the development on the nearby Newmarket Racecourse. Officers told the planning committee that if the inspectorate agreed they could ask them to retake the process and submit again – or even not accept the submission.

The council’s planning committee approved sending a report by officers to the Planning Inspectorate alleging that not enough information was given during the consultation.