Enviromena will appeal after Doncaster Council’s planning committee refused its proposed 40MW Marr Solar Farm despite a recommendation for approval from planning officers.
The company said the planning officer amended their view late in the process to reclassify the site from Grey Belt to Green Belt but still concluded the scheme met planning policy and should be approved due to its public benefits.
Enviromena stated that it maintains the land should be regarded as Grey Belt, consistent with previous interpretations and the site’s characteristics.
Mark Harding, chief development officer at Enviromena, said: “We are extremely disappointed that councillors have gone against the professional assessment of their own officers, who recommended this scheme for approval even after revising their designation view.”
Harding added: “In addition to delivery of renewable energy the project will also bring crucial biodiversity gains and socio-economic benefits both at national and local level. The Committee’s decision is not supported by the evidence, and we will now move forward with an appeal.”
The company said it recently secured a successful appeal on another solar project where a planning inspector overturned a refusal and confirmed the land should be considered Grey Belt.
Enviromena stated that the case for Marr Solar Farm is further strengthened by the release of the draft National Planning Policy Framework during the committee meeting.
Chris Marsh, CEO of Enviromena, said: “We maintain that the correct designation for this land is Grey Belt, and the planning evidence clearly supports that position.”
Marsh added: “With the urgent need for clean, reliable energy, decisions must be rooted in evidence and established policy. We are confident that an appeal will reaffirm the strong merits of this scheme.”