proposed solar farm - · pdf file · 2015-01-12proposal is for installation of a...

PROPOSED SOLAR FARM

LAND WEST OF MEERE’S LANE, KIRTON END, LINCOLNSHIRE

PLANNING APPLICATION BY

DESIGN AND ACCESS STATEMENT

SEPTEMBER 2014

Proposed Solar Park

Kirton End

Design & Access Statement

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Introduction

1. This statement has been prepared in support of a full planning application for the creation of

a solar park at land located west of Meere’s Lane and immediately north of Pick’s Barn. The

proposal is for installation of a 3.167MWp ground mounted solar array. The land is currently

agricultural and utilised for arable purposes. The proposal includes the installation of ground

based framing systems, mounted solar panels, power inverters, two structures containing low

voltage switchgear / control panels, 2 No step up transformers, security fencing and

associated access gates, and a CCTV security camera system mounted on free standing

support poles. A built enclosure will also be required to accommodate the switchgear and

metering requirements of Western Power Distribution.

The solar farm will be used to produce a clean, renewable and sustainable form of electricity

production which will be connected to and exported on to the National Grid.

2. The statement assesses the design and access arrangements, and how they relate to their

context. This statement has been prepared in accordance with Circular advice.

3. The proposal is shown on the following drawings:-

Topographical Survey – Drawing E/WK/14/001

Architectural Layout Drawings / details –

• 1:2500 site location plan

• Site layout: EP1097 GA 06092014 Rev D

• AC cluster: MAM_2014_07_10

• CCTV detail: EPTEMP CCTVPOB Detail A

• Fence Detail: EPTEMP Fence Detail A

• Site access road: EPTEMP Road Detail A

• Panel detail: Typ 14R/3x8 gerammt

• Transformer / LV Pillar: KHV14-317-001 Rev A

4. The application is also supported by the following documents:-

• Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA)

• Ecological Walkover Survey Report

• Archaeological / Heritage Statement

• Planning Policy Statement

• Grid Connection Details

• Inverter Details

Pre-Application Discussions

5. No pre-application discussions have taken place with the Local Planning Authority. Preliminary

discussions have taken place with the County Archaeologist, the Environment Agency and the

Landscape officer. No adverse comments have been received.

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Statement of Community Involvement

6. Due to the site’s topography and location the proposal will have extremely limited impact on

adjacent settlements. No formal public consultation exercise has therefore taken place.

Solar Farms

7. Solar photovoltaic (or ‘PV’) technology is the process of collecting solar irradiation and

converting it into electricity. Its common application is to individual properties – solar panels

on the roof – but its method of application is becoming wider and solar farms have emerged

as a larger scale, commercial application of the technology to generate electricity directly into

the National Grid.

PV panels silently convert sunlight to electrical energy. They generate direct current (DC)

that is converted to alternating current (AC) to be used by the electricity grid. There are

various forms of PV technology (thin film, and crystalline) however these provide the same

basic function. Regardless of the PV configuration, inverter hardware and transformers are

required to change the direct current PV output to useable AC power for the grid. PV may be

connected to the distribution network at the domestic level of 240V or at higher voltage,

depending on the size and location of the generating plant.

Typical Installation

8. The technology is in fact over 100 years old. Large multi-megawatt generation facilities have

been operating for several decades in other countries across Europe. The facilities are based

either on fixed solar panels or tracker systems that move either horizontally, vertically or both

in order to maximise solar gain.

Ethical Power has opted for fixed systems which are three panels high with panels being

positioned landscape on an angled frame (25 degrees). The maximum height of panels and

frame structure will be 1.862m. Mounting panels in landscape format ensures that the

installation will have a smaller area of visual impact, and therefore less environmental impact.

The framing system ensures that panels can be easily installed and removed from the site at

Proposed Solar Park

Kirton End


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the end of their life. Framing is driven into the ground rather than relying on concrete

foundations which further minimises the impact of the development.

Proposed framing system to be utilised at Kirton End Solar Park.

9. A major advantage of PV technology is that the panels convert sunlight to electrical energy

without any noise output. The only noise generation will be from the inverter panels and step-

up transformers. A total of 180 inverter panels will be required, which are attached to the rear

framing of the galvanised panel framing.

Noise generated from each unit will amount to 56dBA at a distance of 1.5m.

Diagram providing descriptions of various noise sources.

The table above identifies 50 dB(A) as being equivalent to “quiet urban daytime” noise .

Notwithstanding this the inverter panels are located a substantial distance away from any

sensitive receptors and noise generated from the proposed solar development would be

imperceptible when measured from the site boundary. In addition to inverter panels the

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development will require 2 No 1600kVA, 11000/415V super low loss amorphous transformer

which produce 56dbA at a distance of 0.3m. Transformer details form part of the application.

Typical Inverter Details

Inverters and transformers are needed to change the direct current output from the panels to

AC power for the National Grid.

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Kirton End


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The Site and its Context

10. The site and its surroundings are fully described within the Landscape and Visual Impact

Assessment. The site is located at co-ordinates TF 28206,38844.

CLA Land Classification map

Proposed Solar Park Location

Proposed Solar Park

Kirton End


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Key to ALC Land map

The site forms part of an 800 acre agricultural land holding owned by Mr Robin Woodward.

The agricultural land classification mapping identifies the proposed land area (see map above)

as being Grade 2 (Very Good). Paragraph 112 of the NPPF states that LPAs should seek to use

areas of poorer quality agricultural land for “significant” development. Land within the Boston

Borough Council is predominantly Grade 1 as can be seen from the attached map and

therefore this application ensures that the most productive land within the borough is

retained for the purposes of agriculture. It should also be noted that no less fertile land exists

within the Borough Area as can be seen below.

Mr Woodward has supplied the following comment:-

“The Meeres Farm where the site is located is around 220 acres in one block. It is all however

listed as grade 2 soil. The site is actually located on the heaviest part of that grade 2 land with

the 10 acre field that forms the east end of the site being the heaviest field we own. However

on the map it is still all shown as grade 2 soil.”

Proposed Solar Park

Kirton End


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CLA Land Classification map

The development site is virtually flat and sits at approximately 2.6m above Ordnance Datum,

and is therefore located within a Zone 3 risk of flooding. However the accompanying Flood

Risk Assessment details the measures in which the proposal is considered acceptable in flood

risk terms and paragraph 46 of the accompanying Planning Statement describes how the

development is acceptable in policy terms.

The development site field extends to approximately 8.7 hectares. The development area

occupies approximately 6.1 hectares. A pet crematorium and pair of semi-detached dwellings

are located immediately to the eastern boundary but screened from the development site by

an established tree / hedge line. The field boundaries are demarked by drainage ditches. A

woodland area exists to the western boundary and isolated farm buildings are located to the

south of Meere’s Lane. The village of Kirton is located approximately 1.8Km east of the

development site and the hamlet of Kirton End is located approximately 1.2Km north-east of

the proposal.

Planning History

11. No relevant planning history exists for the site.

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Policy

12. In formulating the scheme, regard has been paid to Government guidance on design

contained within paragraph 56 to 68 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) along

with the Planning Practice Guidance.

13. The accompanying Planning Statement issues local level and national policy in detail. The 1999

Adopted Local Plan provides guidance under Policy ED11 for renewable energy projects. The

weight attributed to this policy is discussed at length in paragraphs 30-44. No other adopted

policy relates to design issues for a proposed solar park.

Amount of Development

14. The filed site area measures a total of 8.7 Hectares. The development area for the solar farm

is contained within an approximate area of 6.1 Hectares.

15. There are no existing buildings on the physical application site and the adjacent land is

predominantly utilised for the purposes of agriculture.

16. An existing 11Kv connection is available north of the existing semi-detached dwellings. A grid

connection offer has been made by Western Power Distribution and the proposed connection

route is illustrated below.

Details of Grid Connection

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17. It is proposed to construct a solar park array consisting of a total of 12,420 panels within the

main field. The table size varies due to site boundaries and the orientation of panels but the

each table consists of 3 rows of photovoltaic panels mounted in landscape format. Each

photovoltaic panel measures 1.64m x 0.986m. Photovoltaic panels are mounted in a

landscape format in order to minimise the overall height of the structures within the open

landscape. The maximum height of the frames will therefore be 1.862m above existing ground

level. The panels are mounted onto galvanised steel framework. The frame legs are pile driven

into the ground and therefore no intrusive foundations are required as part of the sub-

structure works. The framing arrangement is detailed below in the diagram below:-

Layout

18. The Panels are to be laid out utilising the existing topography to maximise the solar gain. The

panels will be orientated southwards.

19. A low level fence would be installed around the perimeter of the solar farm, which would

consist of an agricultural galvanised steel stock fencing as illustrated below.

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Example of Stock fencing

20. Site security is maintained by a total of 3 pole-mounted CCTV cameras, details of which are

included within the application. Again, these are easily removed at the end of the facilities

working life.

4m high CCTV Camera

The CCTV columns each include infra-red lighting and movement detection. If a sensor

detects movement within its zone of detection LED lighting would be activated. Sensors

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would be angled to prevent wildlife from causing false alarms. Under normal operation the

development will not therefore cause any light pollution.

21. No structures are required to accommodate control gear and the like. The LV pillar

arrangement is shown adjacent the transformer on drawing KHV14-317-001 Rev A.

22. An ecological assessment is submitted as part of this application. No significant ecology

issues have been identified.

Scale

23. The installation of ground mounted photovoltaic panels over 6.1 Ha is a development of

significant scale within the context of Kirton and of its rural surroundings. The LVIA assesses

its implications for the landscape setting and its impact on the surrounding villages and the

application is also accompanied by a Heritage assessment which addresses the impact the

development will have on adjacent Listed Buildings and heritage assets. However, the panel

arrays themselves are relatively low, physically recessive structures which will not be readily

visible.

Perimeter fencing will be provided around the development for security purposes but this will

be of agricultural quality and is described and illustrated in paragraph 19 of this document.

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Kirton End


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Appearance

24. The nature of this development is that it is an unusual feature within this landscape, and of

course is in no way traditional in its materials and appearance. Planning policy at all levels

encourages the principle of renewable energy developments and the intrinsically modern

appearance of the facility is to be taken as read. It is how the facility responds to the particular

landscape setting in terms of its siting and any mitigation of particular viewpoints that are the

key considerations in terms of the appearance of the development. These factors are fully set

out in the LVIA.

Landscaping

25. The site benefits from existing boundary hedgerow planting and the LVIA submitted as part of

this application provides additional mitigation planting that will successfully screen the

development. It is anticipated that any planning permission would secure the detailed design

of this landscape mitigation works by way of a pre-commencement condition.

Key Considerations

26. This development is proposed to assist the UK in meeting is stated renewable energy

objectives by generating approximately 2975MWH (2,975,000kWh) of renewable energy per

year. This supports both Energy Security and Climate change considerations. The power

generated will be imported directly onto the National Grid and the power generated would

be sufficient to power the annual electricity demands of 500-550 dwellings.

27. The deployment will not result in the loss of any existing buildings or structures.

28. Details of the visual impact of the development are fully described in the Landscape Visual

Impact Assessment forming part of this application.

29. The development will not remove a large land area from agricultural use but rather generate

a secondary use of it, therefore maintaining a ‘Food vs Fuel’ balance by retaining sheep on the

site.

30. The proposed development will not introduce any site levelling works. The proposed panels

will utilise the existing site contours. The only excavation work required will relate to trenching

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works for cable routes. The leg frames to tables will be driven into the ground rather than

supported from concrete foundations.

31. The development proposal will have virtually no impact on the local highway network. A

nominal intensification will be generated during the construction phase but thereafter only

access for routine maintenance will be required.

32. The development proposal will not generate undue noise pollution. It has no moving parts

and does not therefore generate any safety concerns in operation. It will not generate any

electro-magnetic interference and will not cause glare issues.

Access

33. The site will be accessed from an existing track which currently extends from Meere’s Lane

and Washdyke Road and serves Pick’s Barn. The tracks all currently serve as the main

transportation routes for the various farms in the locality. The deployment of the proposed

solar farm will take approximately 10 weeks and all vehicles will be parked off the adopted

road network during this phase. A new hardstanding area will be provided to accommodate

construction vehicles and a temporary hardstanding will be provided for material storage.

Predicted traffic movements during the construction phase will involve:-

• HIAB with welfare facilities: 3 in / 3 out

• 40T with mounting system / solar frames: 20

• 20T tipper vehicles with road stone: 10

• HIAB transformer delivery : 1

• HIAB LV container delivery: 2

• Waste container delivery and removal: 10

• Plant hire deliveries: 4

• Toilet emptying: weekly – small truck

• General site deliveries: 2 per day. Van / small truck

• Staff: estimated maximum on site at one time: 15.

After deployment the site will be visited approximately quarterly for security and maintenance

purposes.

The proposed grid connection will be taken from the north-east corner of the site as illustrated

on the site layout. Details of the grid connection are included separately within this

application.

34. A new access road 4.8m wide will extend from the existing track and will extend through the

neighbouring field into the proposed development site.

Proposed Solar Park

Kirton End


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proposed solar farm - · pdf file · 2015-01-12proposal is for installation of a...

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