Middlefield Solar Farm
Middlefield Solar Farm sought planning permission for the installation of a ground mounted photovoltaic solar energy generation system (solar farm), co-located battery storage, a 132kV substation with associated equipment and infrastructure. We provided Planning and Environmental Consultancy services to Lightsource bp.
Key details
Project name
Middlefield Solar Farm
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Client
Lightsource bp
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Location
Thorpe Thewles, Stockton-on-Tees
Services provided:
- Planning consultancy
- Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment
- Heritage consultancy
- Flood Risk Assessment
- Arboricultural Impact Assessment
- Transport Assessment
Challenge
In an effort to support the UKโs transition to more renewable and flexible energy generation, our team undertook the planning and environmental assessment support for Lightsource bpโs project on land to the south of Thorpe Thewles, near Stockton-on-Tees.
The main issues for the proposed development included the developmentโs visual impact on nearby residential receptors, the management of surface water drainage and the development of a greenfield site.
Solution
We were engaged by Lightsource bp to prepare a planning application for the proposed development, made under Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004. Our team provided the planning statement and environmental assessments for landscape impact, heritage, transport, arboriculture, flood risk and surface water drainage strategy.
Thanks to our robust assessments and appraisals, our team were able to prove that the benefits of the solar farm and co-located battery storage were significant enough to outweigh the limited, localised and temporary harms.
