Refusal of Solar Farm and BESS in Historic Landscape

We represented a local resident immediately adjacent to the proposed farm. The application (ref 2024/2358/FPA) before Westmoreland & Furness Council was for the installation of ground-mounted solar photovoltaic arrays, a co-located battery energy storage facility (BESS), and associated infrastructure, on a 10ha+ site, limited to 40 years from operational start.

Our client approached us for help with their objection. The site sits in between two National Landscapes, with no other designation. It is bounded on one side by the M6. Accordingly, the applicant argued the site was unremarkable and the most suitable location for solar. We wrote to the Council several times, and in the end on 4 February 2025 the Council’s Planning Committee voted to refuse.

The reason for refusal:

The proposed development would introduce a major industrial-esque development across an exposed and undulating area of open countryside displaying a perceptively historic landscape still dominated by a patchwork of drystone walled field enclosures conveying a strongly characteristic sense of stark upland rurality. As a consequence, on balance of the main interests and notwithstanding the considerable support afforded such renewable energy development, the proposal would levy an unacceptably disproportionate environmental cost contrary to adopted development plan as a whole and specifically Policies DEV5, ENV2 and ENV6 of the adopted Eden Local Plan.