Planning: Deeside giant solar park plan approved.

Flintshire Council planning committee has approved plans for a giant solar park on Deeside Industrial estate.

The application was granted subject to conditions, one being that the electricity generated should be sold to the nearby UPM Shotton paper Mill.

Compton, the company behind the scheme are confident all conditions will be met so that planning permission can be formally granted by the Council.

The 45 megawatt site will use over 94 hectares of prime agricultural land, the overall size is around 109 hectares – equivalent to 152 football pitches (according to Google)

The 180,000 solar panel site is to the north of Weighbridge Road A458 and Deeside Industrial Park, beyond the site lies agricultural fields and the villages of Puddington and Shotwick, the proposed park will wrap around Shotwick Lake Sailing Club, agricultural land, an RPSB reserve.

Connah’s Quay Town Council objected to the proposal due to visual impact on open countryside, loss of natural habitat, loss of agricultural land, the council wanted one of the many “brownfield” area’s in Deeside to be considered.

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Sealand Community Council objected to the plan on the grounds of losing good quality agricultural land which they say is a vital commercial asset, and the site would have a major detrimental impact on the general open landscape in Sealand, with negative impact on wildlife/wildfowl due to habitat loss.

Objections to the proposal also came from Puddington & District Council, Burton Residents Association, Welsh Government Department for Natural Resources and Food, Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales as well as five letters of objection.

The planning proposal conclusion:

The matters which weigh in favour of the proposal:

• The strong national support for renewable energy in order to tackle the effects of climate change is a significant factor in favour of the proposal, and carries substantial weight in addition to the adopted development plan polices to promote renewable energy are considerations of significant weight.
• The ecological enhancements that would be provided with the scheme are of considerable weight 
• Visually the scheme would be mitigated via existing and proposed landscaping.
• The economic gains provided via supplying reduced energy for a major local employer over 25 years and the upgrade of electrical plant which would serve all of the Deeside Industrial Park carries significant weight

The matters which weigh against of the proposal: 

• It is arguable the development constitutes inappropriate  development in the Green Barrier affecting its reason for  designation, which carries significant weight
• The character and appearance of the landscape would undergo a marked change. This is of considerable weight
• Loss of Grade 2 land for a period of 25 years to intensive agricultural use is significant
• Loss of current agricultural jobs

You can read the full planning committee document here