Issue - meetings

Establishment of solar farm facility with supporting development, on 4 separate parcels of agricultural land located to the north, south and west of the National Grid Lovedean substation and which also straddles the district boundary between Winchester City Council and East Hampshire District Council (EIA Development) (AMENDMENTS RECEIVED (December 2022)- Revised Plans and Reports; Additional Information and Revised Chapter 6 in Environment Statement (Landscape and Visual Impact). (FURTHER AMENDMENTS RECEIVED (October 2023)- Revised Plans and Reports; Additional Information including Removal of battery storage facility; Reduction to area of solar panels; Revised ES Non-Technical Summary; Additional Landscaping; Creation of Permissive Footpath; Addition of Passing Bays in Day Lane. (May Affect Public Rights of Way & May Affect Setting of Listed Buildings) (Revised Description & Revised Details).

The application was introduced. Members were referred to the update sheet which provided additional information regarding several matters including the following:

1.         A consultation response received from National Grid including Planning Officer comments.

2.         A letter submitted on behalf of the Lovedean Village Residents Association and 46 residents that had been circulated to committee members including Planning Officer comments.

3.         An alteration to condition 29, Noise (Submission of Details Post Installation) detailed as follows:

Condition 29. Within 3 months of the first commercial export date, a post installation noise assessment shall be carried out and submitted for approval in writing to the local planning authority. This submission shall   verify that the cumulative rated noise level from the plant and equipment forming the Solar Farm is no greater than the prevailing background sound level (as set out in Condition 28) at the most sensitive period when the plant and equipment is being operated (e.g. evening, nights and weekends). The post installation noise assessment shall be carried out by a suitably qualified acoustic consultant/engineer and be undertaken in accordance with BS4142:2014+A1:2019 (or superseding guidance) for “Methods for rating and assessing industrial and commercial sound". If the noise criteria has not been met it will be necessary to identify and install noise mitigation measures within 3 months of the assessment being completed and a further post completion noise assessment undertaken so to demonstrate the noise criteria has been met. Any mitigation measures installed, shall be retained hereafter. All equipment including any forced air cooling fans and transformers must be maintained for the life time of the development. Any replacement equipment/plant shall also attain the same cumulative noise levels and be maintained to the same standard as set out above. 

Reason: In the interests of amenity and the protection of the local environment and to comply with the intentions of policy DM20 of the Winchester District Local Plan Part 2.

4.     A new condition, number 34, Broken Panel Management Plan detailed as follows:

Condition 34.Before the first commercial export date, a management plan setting out the methodology to be followed for the identification and remedial action to be taken in response to any damage, or wear and tear that may result in a breakage to a solar panel which  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5