Q-C1.2: Are there any other criteria which should be considered when assessing proposals for large scale renewable energy developments?
It would be a useful option if the local community or local community energy organisation had the possibility to buy into (by public share offer, crowdfunding etc) and thus own a part of any commercial large scale solar or wind farm, if they want to. Installers usually provide an initial local community benefit but a community that actually owned however small a part of the whole could thereby have a steady income for community projects..
The use of contaminated agricultural land should be designated for solar farms with wind turbines restricted to those areas away from areas of OPutstanding Natural Beauty or National Parks.
No answer given
Impact on the landscape and surrounding areas.
THIS SEEMS AN ADEQUATE LIST
All the above seem appropriate
No answer given
Contribution to creating or enhancing pubic footpaths / bridleways
More options should be considered for providing group heating sustainable for villages or even urban areas as is the norm in Scandinavia. Removes the need for individual home heating systems
SHOULD BE SYMPATHETIC TO AGRICULTURE AND NATURE
All planning applications for large scale renewable energy must be supported by a comprehensive LVIA to assess the landscape and visual impact. It is possible to find sites where there will be a negligible LVI
The routes of cabling to feed the generated output, how they too impact the other criteria. The speed with which the site can be brought to generation..
Employment opportunities provided by R&D activities associated with renewable energy and green technologies.
Dual use for agriculture
Recommend mix of Option C1.1a (if evidence of site suitability available) and C1.1b. No further comments.
nsure agricltural sites used are still capable of use as farmland
The quality of the arable land should be considered. Considering the need for food sustainability, using prime agricultural land for this is not appropriate.
We should look to a roof-tops first policy rather than land, as this minimises the land take and leaves more free for agricultural food production. We are definitely against a policy that allows speculative applications to build solar farms on greenfield land. This should be avoided in the Plan.
proximity of nearby areas of natural beauty or national parks
Protection of the green belt must be a key factor in site selection
Agricultural land classification needs to be reconsidered. The classification system is archaic and no longer reflects advancements in technology and modern agricultural practice. The most recent and largest solar farm approved in South Warwickshire in Bishops Itchington last year had its biggest ever yielding harvest but was approved on the basis it was on Grade 3b land. Consideration and considerable weighting needs to be given to the industrialisation of open countryside. This needs upmost protection. Renewable energy development must not be the precedent or driver for further industrial development in a rural area.
This local plan should require all new buildings to be equipped with appropriate levels of PV panels. This should at least provide the electricity to match the Energy Use Intensity (EUI). The document clearly sets out the need for consideration of the impact of landscape and heritage assets, the loss of agricultural land and the sterilisation of mineral reserves. The latter is not quite accurate as solar and wind farms are not permanent fixtures. Community support is also important and consideration should be given to the immediate community to a new facility benefiting in terms of a reduction to their cost of electricity for the time that the development is in place. This may provide a driver for certain communities to ask for solar farms and on shore wind developments. There are a small number of community wind schemes (e.g. Ripple Energy) where the public has the opportunity to buy shares in a wind farm and get a return in electricity cost reduction. There are the significantly large areas of roofs on both residential and non residential buildings that could be equipped with PV. This could include schools, warehouses, public buildings etc.
Impact on neighbouring residents through noise or loss of amenities
Impact on local communities regarding noise.
Policy should ensure roof space is allocated for renewable energy production. Large warehouses have huge unused roof spaces for example which, with government led policy, could be utilised for green energy. This would mean space which could be allocated to agriculture/green belt/housing can be used for such rather than large solar/wind farms. Where land/space is in demand we need to utilise our roof and air space more effectively.
Possible impact on residents in dwellings close to any proposed developments
Only to be in areas where the land is flat and cannot be viewed from an elevated position, close to a sub-station for distribution to the grid, not close to nearby areas of natural beauty or national or country parks.
The extent to which the development will help to avert the climate emergency - this ought to be the overarching criteria
Renewable energy should not usurp agricultural land for food production
Renewable energy should not usurp agricultural land for food production