The appeal for Aura Power’s Hawthorn Pit Solar Farm in Durham, England, has been allowed, thereby granting planning permission for the project.
The decision from the Planning Inspectorate, in part, concludes: “On balance the scheme would leave a landscape with enhanced biodiversity and ecology consistent with the objectives of development plan policy, in particular Policy 33 of the CDP [County Durham Plan]. In these circumstances, whilst there would be some localised harm to landscape character in conflict with the relevant development plan policies, the imperative to tackle climate change, as recognised in legislation and energy policy, and the very significant benefits of the scheme clearly and decisively outweigh the harm I have identified.”
The 49.9MW Hawthorn Pit site 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.
The decision also recognises “the scheme includes substantive planting in the form of trees and hedgerows… such works are incorporated within a Biodiversity Management Plan” and are calculated to deliver a significant Biodiversity Net Gain of 124% for habitats and 135% for hedgerows”.
Chief executive of Aura Power Simon Coulson said: “We are really pleased the Planning Inspectorate decided to allow our appeal, recognising the significant benefits that this development will bring.
“Durham County Council has declared a Climate Emergency pledging to reduce carbon emissions by 60% by 2030 and be carbon neutral by 2050,” Coulson added.
“This solar farm and others will contribute towards reaching this goal. We will continue to work with the local community and are looking forward to firming up the administration of the community benefit fund.”
Aura Power offers a community benefit fund across its UK solar sites, designed to support local social, educational and environmental projects in the community.
Construction dates have yet to be set for Hawthorn Pit.
The development is part of a further around 120MW of Aura Power’s UK solar proposals awaiting planning decisions. The past year has been one of the company’s most successful yet, as it celebrates its 10th year in the industry, having gained planning approval for 440MW of solar and battery storage projects in the UK alone. The developer is working on a maturing 20GW pipeline of solar PV and battery energy storage in the UK, Europe and North America.