Plans for a solar farm at Henley Hall on the outskirts of Ludlow were approved in June after an appeal to the planning inspectorate. In September, the size of the solar farm was reduced.
But at the same time, Kronos Solar said it wanted construction traffic to access the site near to housing at Lower Ledwyche. The original plan had been to access the solar farm via an existing concrete track well away from housing.
Nearby residents were quite rightly furious with the plans, which would have caused considerable local disruption.
When Kronos applied to change its planning conditions to allow access from the Lower Ledwyche end of the site, council planning officers said no. They made it clear that if Kronos wanted a different construction access route to the site, the company would have to apply separately for full planning permission.
Kronos has now backed down on its proposal. It has accepted that construction traffic will access the site from the north end as agreed. That’s the right decision. It will mean higher costs for Kronos, which must now construct a temporary access track from the north of the site. But it will help preserve the tranquillity of Lower Ledwyche during construction. Tranquility, even if only disrupted temporarily, is well worth preserving.
