As the energy crisis bites deeper… councillors urged to decide on major solar farm for Dorset not planning officials

One of the UK’s leading clean energy solutions companies is campaigning for a proposed solar farm on the outskirts of a village north east of Dorchester to be decided by Dorset Planning Committee and not officials.

In the face of the biggest surge in household energy bills for more than 50 years, Enviromena is seeking permission to build a 40-acre 11.8 MW solar installation at Cruxton Farm near Maiden Newton.

New solar projects like this one, which can be both constructed and connected quickly, can help play a crucial role in providing clean energy alternatives to the grid which will reduce dependence on both imported fossil fuels and their associated energy price volatility.  And more than that, when finished, the installation will be capable of providing clean power to over 4,800 homes every year, which would offset over 3,000 tonnes of carbon annually. 

In addition to the carbon reduction benefits of the project, it will also be a boon for the Maiden Newton, Dorchester, and wider Dorset economies.  Enviromena’s CEO Cabell Fisher commented: “With recent economic forecasts suggesting the UK will be in a recession by the end of this year, the Cruxton Farm project can support local jobs and businesses during its expected construction phase from April to July of 2023. 

“Enviromena’s stated philosophy is to always strive to leave the communities and places we touch in better condition than when we arrive, and a key part of that mission involves supporting the local businesses and area around our projects.”

However, planning officials have recommended that the project should be refused on the grounds of visual impact and not meeting criteria for development in an area of outstanding natural beauty.

Since February, Enviromena has successfully addressed and resolved further points which were unusually requested at the eleventh hour of the application being submitted.  Indeed, the company has made a significant investment in both management time and capital over the last 12 months to ensure the site is acceptable to all stakeholders, including National Highways, the local community, and Maiden Newton Parish Council who are all supportive of the application and the benefits it would bring to the area and local community.

– and yet the officials’ recommendation to refuse remains the same.

The case will shortly go through the Council’s scheme of delegation procedure which will determine whether or not the fate of the project is decided at planning committee or rejected by officers without committee input. As such, Enviromena is urging for common sense to prevail and for the case to be heard at committee in September given the substantial benefits to the local community and to the UK as a whole.

Speaking about the latest developments, Mark Harding, Enviromena’ s Europe Development Director, said: “Planning officials have stated that they’re aware of the public and government agenda related to energy but that these are updates are yet to be made to planning policy. However, it should be noted that in terms of applications related to climate and energy security, planning policy does not need to be updated for these material considerations to be taken into account in the decision-making process.

“Furthermore, at its core, the Development Plan for the area is supportive of renewable energy development despite the fact that the plan was published in October 2015. Since 2015, the UK’s climate agenda has moved on significantly and its energy security has deteriorated, therefore both issues are obviously material to the determination of the planning application”.

 “It is our view that an important development like Cruxton Farm should be decided by councillors and have the benefit of due process rather than under delegated powers.”

The company says that the installation is not only vital to meet the Government’s sustainability targets but also makes an essential contribution to help secure the UK’s future renewable energy supplies and to achieve Net Zero. It argues that this has never been more relevant as conventional UK energy supplies face global threats and supply chain risks from incidents like the current war in the Ukraine.

Renewable energy is also a vital resource in tackling the rising cost of energy which is having a huge effect on household spending and contributing to high levels of inflation. In fact, there are now several articles in circulation stating these increased energy prices could put 10.5 million UK households, or roughly 1/3, into fuel poverty next year: fuel poverty occurs when energy costs drag household disposable income below the government’s official poverty line.    

Mark Harding explained: “It is our view that renewable developments like Cruxton Farm are absolutely essential to both the local and national cause. This view, it seems, is shared by a local planning committee at neighbouring Hampshire where in Fleet, in July, they voted unanimously10-0 in favour of our application at Heckfield.”

He added: “If nothing else, I am hoping we can persuade Dorset Council to give the decision over Cruxton to elected representatives rather than the Dorset planning officials to ensure the determination process takes into account the prevailing environment which in terms of energy provision, is only going to become more challenging.”