You may already have seen the plans from EDF Renewables proposing to build a huge 2,100 acre Solar Farm on Claydon Estate land. Because of the size this becomes a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project. This is managed and received by the Planning Inspectorate (or formerly by the Infrastructure Planning Commission). The process is significantly different from normal Planning applications (even Grendon Prison) and Bucks CC has a restricted input. To have any input the only time individuals or Parish Councils can have a say is at the initial consultation whether it’s for or against or feel it may need some adaptation.
Proposed Solar Farms & Battery Storage Facilities around the Claydons
Currently, we are aware of four major projects involving solar panels and/or battery storage facilities that will impact East and Botolph Claydon and beyond to Middle Claydon, Calvert, Granborough, North Marston and Hogshaw. These are at different stages of the planning process as follows:
19/00983/APP – Tuckey Farm, East Claydon Road (63 ha) 25 MW solar farm. Planning application APPROVED; work commenced.
23/01438/SO – Statera battery storage unit (500 MW), land between Hogshaw Road, Granborough and Sion Hill (29.5 ha) – Planning application pending.
23/01939/SO – Wings Farm – 49.9 MW solar farm. Land between Granborough Road and Hogshaw Road (70.7 ha). Screening opinion – No environmental impact assessment is required.
Consideration of each of these projects rests with Bucks Planning Authority and any comments should be directed to the Aylesbury Vale Area section of the authority.
The recently announced proposal by Rosefield Solar (a subsidiary of EDF Energy) is on a much larger scale. A 500 MW solar farm and associated infrastructure would encompass land, principally within the Claydon Estate, from Calvert in the west to the East Claydon sub-station in the east and from Orchard Way in the north to Finmere Wood in the south. The scale of this proposal means that it qualifies as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP). As such, although Bucks Planning Authority can express an opinion on the planning proposal, it will be determined by the relevant Secretary of State (SoS). If approved, the SoS will issue a Development Consent Order (DCO).
There is a set procedure for reviewing such projects and it’s worth summarising the process and, in particular, how and at what stage individuals and interested bodies can express their views. This is important because there are limited opportunities to do so.
There are six stages as follows:
1. Pre-Application:
Before submitting an application, applicants have a statutory duty to carry out consultation on their proposals. This must be done in accordance with its Statement of Community Consultation (SoCC), having sought the views of the host local authority on its content. We are requesting a copy of this document. Responding to an applicant’s Pre-application consultation is the best time to influence a project, whether you agree with it, disagree with it, or believe it could be improved. As such, it is vital that as many residents as possible attend the advertised consultation events advertised and that you submit any comments in writing to Rosefield.
2. Acceptance:
The Acceptance stage begins when an applicant submits an application for development consent to the Planning Inspectorate. They have 28 days to decide whether or not the application meets the standards required to be accepted for examination.
3. Pre-Examination:
At this stage, the public will be able to register with the Planning Inspectorate to become an Interested Party by making a Relevant Representation. A Relevant Representation is a summary of a person’s views on an application, made in writing. An Examining Authority is also appointed at the Pre-examination stage, and all Interested Parties will be invited to attend a Preliminary Meeting, run and chaired by the Examining Authority. There is no statutory timescale for this stage of the process, but it usually takes approximately three months from the Applicant’s formal notification and publicity of an accepted application.
4. Examination:
The Planning Inspectorate has up to 6 months to carry out the examination. During this stage Interested Parties who have registered by making a Relevant Representation are invited to provide more details of their views in writing. The Examining Authority reviews all the important and relevant matters including the representations of all Interested Parties, any supporting evidence submitted and answers provided to the Examining Authority’s questions set out in writing or posed at hearings.
5. Recommendation and Decision:
The Planning Inspectorate submits a report on the application to the relevant Secretary of State, including a recommendation, within 3 months of the close of the 6-month Examination stage. The SoS then has a further 3 months to make the decision on whether to grant or refuse development consent.
6. Post Decision:
Once a decision has been issued by the SoS, there is a 6-week period in which the decision may be challenged in the High Court. This process is known as Judicial Review.
For more information, see: www.infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/application-process/the-process
Please E Mail a copy of this info to , Avmatthews37@ aol.com so that a copy can be run off to study. Thanks
Thank you all for your comments.
In order for people to keep informed of developments please take a look at our website which is being continuously and tirelessly updated.
http://www.claydonssolaractiongroup.co.uk
Please also join our fb page:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551728441500
We are also compiling a very long email database as an ideal form of communication for everyone.
If you would like to be added please get in touch by emailing us your name, and email address to
Info@claydonssolaractiongroup.co.uk
If you have any particular skills you maybe able to bring to the table please also let us know.
Thank you for your continued support.
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I simply can not believe a project on this scale is being proposed for these villages.
These villages have had very little support in terms of infrastructure and amenities ie badly damaged and maintained roads, no pavements, few schools, shops. Or community activities yet this outrageous plan is being considered which will cause enormous damage to the villages’ roads, access and general viability.. It is a disgrace.
Lithium battery farms are noisy ( ask the residents near the Hertfordshire farm) and potentially lethal. Look at the explosion of one in Australia. which leaked toxic fumes. And people were forced to stay inside within a 9/10k radius. This plant will be bigger than that one, I believe. This proposal is not considered in terms of the health, safety and general well being of the thousands of residents who live in the surrounding area. What will it do to the flora and fauna? HS2 ;has layed waste to the surrounding area as has EWR. Yet these company’s have the audacity to infringe upon the land and the people further with this.
DEADLINE FOR OBJECTION LETTERS TO BE SENT TO ROSEFIELD – THIS FRIDAY 10TH NOVEMBER – 3 DAYS!
PLEASE PLEASE email your objections to Rosefield by THIS FRIDAY 10TH NOVEMBER BY 11.59PM. Objection letters really do count so the more we can get the more chance we have of getting our voice heard.
HOW TO DO THIS:
Email to: info@rosefieldsolarfarm.co.uk
CC to: Info@claydonssolaractiongroup.co.uk
PLEASE DO MAKE SURE YOU CC A COPY TO US SO WE KNOW JUST HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE SENT IN THEIR OBJECTIONS. Rosefield and EDF apparently are not obligated to let us have this information and we need to make sure the Secretary of State has ALL the correct information!
If you need help with your objection letters, you can see 4 templates on our website – please go to:
https://claydonssolaractiongroup.co.uk/
OR
If you would like to receive some templates to copy and paste by email, and you haven’t already had your email address please either PM us or email us at info@claydonssolaractiongroup.co.uk so we can add you and send these out to you.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT – REMEMBER VOTES COUNT – GET THOSE EMAILS TO ROSEFIELD AND US BY FRIDAY 10TH NOVEMBER.
I am concerned about the enormous scale of this application. Solar Farms have a negative impact on the local wildlife and biodiversity. How many trees will be cut down, hedgerows scrubbed up? Are there any mitigation plans in place to offset this? Will there be screening planted as buffers?? Local wildlife has already been badly impacted by HS2 and EW Rail. 500 acres scrubbed up for HS2’s compound alone, and 1,000’s of trees and kilometres of hedgerows destroyed. It will be like Silent Spring in the area soon. I am all for renewable energy, but this is too large a scale.
Thank you all for your comments.
In order for people to keep informed of developments please take a look at our website which is being continuously and tirelessly updated.
http://www.claydonssolaractiongroup.co.uk
Please also join our fb page:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551728441500
We are also compiling a very long email database as an ideal form of communication for everyone.
If you would like to be added please get in touch by emailing us your name, and email address to
Info@claydonssolaractiongroup.co.uk
If you have any particular skills you maybe able to bring to the table please also let us know.
Thank you for your continued support.
Reply
Your comment is awaiting moderation.
Hi Hilary
DEADLINE FOR OBJECTION LETTERS TO BE SENT TO ROSEFIELD – THIS FRIDAY 10TH NOVEMBER – 3 DAYS!
PLEASE PLEASE email your objections to Rosefield by THIS FRIDAY 10TH NOVEMBER BY 11.59PM. Objection letters really do count so the more we can get the more chance we have of getting our voice heard.
HOW TO DO THIS:
Email to: info@rosefieldsolarfarm.co.uk
CC to: Info@claydonssolaractiongroup.co.uk
PLEASE DO MAKE SURE YOU CC A COPY TO US SO WE KNOW JUST HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE SENT IN THEIR OBJECTIONS. Rosefield and EDF apparently are not obligated to let us have this information and we need to make sure the Secretary of State has ALL the correct information!
If you need help with your objection letters, you can see 4 templates on our website – please go to:
https://claydonssolaractiongroup.co.uk/
OR
If you would like to receive some templates to copy and paste by email, and you haven’t already had your email address please either PM us or email us at info@claydonssolaractiongroup.co.uk so we can add you and send these out to you.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT – REMEMBER VOTES COUNT – GET THOSE EMAILS TO ROSEFIELD AND US BY FRIDAY 10TH NOVEMBER.
I am totally appalled by this development project, it is misplaced. Have the planning department considered the negative impact of this solar farm on the mental health and well being of local people? Living in such a stressful time with rising costs of living local residents need the release of the countryside for mental and physical health. With the NHS also in crisis with ridiculously long waiting lists and cancelled appointments for most local people the only opportunity to exercise is in the beautiful countryside where we live. I use the proposed development site for both walking my dogs as well as running, it is a huge part of mine and my family’s life. The impact this development will have on the bio diversity is disgraceful, we need to be creating areas for wildlife not destroying them. This project CANNOT go ahead.
Thank you all for your comments.
In order for people to keep informed of developments please take a look at our website which is being continuously and tirelessly updated.
http://www.claydonssolaractiongroup.co.uk
Please also join our FB page:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551728441500
We are also compiling a very long email database as an ideal form of communication for everyone.
If you would like to be added please get in touch by emailing us your name, and email address to
info@claydonssolaractiongroup.co.uk
If you have any particular skills you maybe able to bring to the table please also let us know.
Thank you for your continued support.
Reply
Your comment is awaiting moderation.
Thank you all for your comments.
In order for people to keep informed of developments please take a look at our website which is being continuously and tirelessly updated.
http://www.claydonssolaractiongroup.co.uk
Please also join our fb page:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551728441500
We are also compiling a very long email database as an ideal form of communication for everyone.
If you would like to be added please get in touch by emailing us your name, and email address to
Info@claydonssolaractiongroup.co.uk
If you have any particular skills you maybe able to bring to the table please also let us know.
Thank you for your continued support.
We are so shocked that they should be even thinking of putting a solar power station here
What are the Verneys thinking of .
Allowing energy companies to take over valuable farm land, that is used for growing food . Turning tenets from the land that they’ve farmed for years
what it will do for the wild life and animals that roam across this land .many people come here to walk and enjoy the fresh air and beauty of this area they find it good for there mental health
Verney you should be ashamed of yourself
The land does not belong to you you are just a custodian you’re there to protect the landscape for future generations. If this goes ahead we will have no farming no country side no birds
Butterflies or any wildlife left .our children will NO have future here . And all for Greed Heather P
DEADLINE FOR OBJECTION LETTERS TO BE SENT TO ROSEFIELD – THIS FRIDAY 10TH NOVEMBER – 3 DAYS!
PLEASE PLEASE email your objections to Rosefield by THIS FRIDAY 10TH NOVEMBER BY 11.59PM. Objection letters really do count so the more we can get the more chance we have of getting our voice heard.
HOW TO DO THIS:
Email to: info@rosefieldsolarfarm.co.uk
CC to: Info@claydonssolaractiongroup.co.uk
PLEASE DO MAKE SURE YOU CC A COPY TO US SO WE KNOW JUST HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE SENT IN THEIR OBJECTIONS. Rosefield and EDF apparently are not obligated to let us have this information and we need to make sure the Secretary of State has ALL the correct information!
If you need help with your objection letters, you can see 4 templates on our website – please go to:
https://claydonssolaractiongroup.co.uk/
OR
If you would like to receive some templates to copy and paste by email, and you haven’t already had your email address please either PM us or email us at info@claydonssolaractiongroup.co.uk so we can add you and send these out to you.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT – REMEMBER VOTES COUNT – GET THOSE EMAILS TO ROSEFIELD AND US BY FRIDAY 10TH NOVEMBER.