Shropshire Council planners have approved a reduction in the area of the solar farm due to be constructed off Squirrel Lane. The new plans are an improvement and will reduce the visibility of the scheme, which was approved by a planning inspector after the original plans were rejected by the South Planning Committee.
Under plans approved last Monday, the area of the solar arrays would be reduced by 3.05 hectares and will be pulled back by 440 metres from the edge of Henley Hall deer park (16/03837/AMP). The reduced area also moves the array away from Colonel’s Plantation.
Plan 2 is the scheme that has just been approved. The power output of the array will not be reduced.
In a related planning application, Kronos Soar has submitted a construction traffic management plan that proposes operational access is widened and used also for construction traffic (16/03763/DIS). This proposal would direct construction traffic towards housing at Lower Ledwyche. This is unacceptable both for local residents, who have understandably objected, and for the local ecology. A revised entrance would lead to the removal of trees, damage a historic hollow way and trash some scruffy wet areas that are loved by many species including newts.
Council planners have told Kronos that any change to access will require a separate application for full planning permission.
I hope that any such application would be rejected. Construction access must be by way of the concrete farm track adjacent to Henley Hall as agreed in the original planning application.