| Client | Aura Power Developments Ltd |
|---|---|
| Turley office | Bristol |
| Status | Planning permission granted |
| LPA | Durham County Council |
Imperative to tackle climate change and significant benefits of solar energy
Our role
- We provided Planning and Landscape services, including acting as Expert Witnesses at the appeal hearing. In allowing the appeal, the Inspector identified that there would be localised harm to landscape character, but that the imperative to tackle climate change and the very significant benefits of the scheme clearly and decisively outweighed that identified harm.
- In addition to benefits associated with renewable energy generation, the scheme would secure in excess of 100% net gain in biodiversity on the site, through substantive new planning and the implementation of a Biodiversity Management Plan (secured by agreement under section 39 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981).
Results
- Planning Permission was granted on appeal for a 49.9MW solar farm on land at Hawthorn Pit in County Durham. The site is located close to a variety of existing power infrastructure benefiting from a short and convenient connection into the energy grid at this location.
- Hawthorn Pit solar farm will provide enough clean electricity to power over 17,000 homes each year, saving around 15,000 tonnes of carbon emissions, compared with electricity produced by gas.