Solar Energy Supplementary Planning Document consultation (stage two)

Background

Solar energy has an important contribution to make to our target for the county to be net zero carbon by 2045.

The draft SPD sets guidance to ensure solar panels are placed, designed and of a scale which protects County Durham's unique landscape character, biodiversity, heritage assets and best and most versatile agricultural land. It provides guidance for three scales of solar development:

• small scale solar panels associated with housing, business and community uses
• medium scale solar panels associated with business, leisure and community uses
• large scale commercial solar farms

It provides supplementary guidance to policies in the County Durham Plan, which was adopted in October 2020, in particular Policy 33 (Renewable and Low Carbon Energy).

What the SPD includes

The SPD provides detailed guidance to ensure panels and associated infrastructure are appropriately designed and located, to:

• protect County Durham's Green Belt, unique landscape, biodiversity and heritage
• protect soil resources and ensure solar developments allow for the continued agricultural use of farmland
• protect people from the impact of noise, glint and glare from reflective materials
• ensure surface water runoff and flood risk does not increase
• protect Public Rights of Way and ensure any impacts on the road network are acceptable
• ensure as soon as possible after solar farms stop operating, land is, as a minimum, restored to the condition it was in before the development, and any landscape or biodiversity enhancements are retained

It also promotes best practice in public engagement and provides guidance on the approach to community benefit.

Key proposed changes

Following the initial consultation, the key changes include:

• further emphasis on the importance of neighbourhood plans
• updates to reflect changes to permitted development rights
• emphasis that new developments should minimise greenhouse gas emissions and seek to provide renewable and low carbon energy generation
• clarification of additional evidence requirements where there would be an impact on best and most versatile agricultural land
• clarification that criteria on landscape and townscape are key considerations to reduce visual impacts, rather than a checklist, as well as highlighting that we will be undertaking further work on landscape sensitivity
• amendments to the cultural heritage guidance - solar development in the setting of the World Heritage Site that harms its Outstanding Universal Value will not be permitted other than in wholly exceptional circumstances
• amendments to guidance on the green belt - it now sets out what will be considered for assessing if very special circumstances exist
• additional guidance on the process for a temporary diversion to a public right of way
• the highlighting of good practice guidance on community engagement

Read the Objective: Solar Energy Supplementary Planning Document.

Have your say

What happens next

Responses to the consultation will be considered in drafting a final version of the Solar Energy SPD. Any final amendments to the document will be considered and justified before completion and approval. Once approved, the SPD will be adopted and will be used to assess planning applications for solar development.