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21
May 2023
Developer challenges Nidderdale solar panels 'visual harm' claim
A developer has appealed a decision to refuse the installation of 30 solar panels at a farm in Nidderdale over “visual harm” concerns.
John Adams submitted the proposal for Gillbeck Farm on Peat Lane at Bewerley to Harrogate Borough Council in September 2022.
It would have seen 30 panels installed in order to “maximise the use of renewable energy sources”.
However, the authority rejected the proposal on the grounds that it would cause “visual harm and have a negative impact on the landscape and the character of the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty".
It added:
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Mr Adams, who owns the farm, has since taken the case to the government’s Planning Inspectorate, which deals with planning appeals.
In a statement to the inspector, Mr Adams argued that the land would not be not visible to passers by and that Peat Lane was “infrequently” used by cars, walkers and cyclists.
He said:
Bewerley Parish Council made no objection to the scheme.
A government planning inspector will make a decision on the appeal at a later date.
It comes as the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority questioned whether it needed to do more to tackle climate change.
The authority, which covers part of Nidderdale, revealed at a meeting in September 2022 that the carbon footprint of the residents of the national park was estimated to be around 18% higher than the UK average.
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