Solar park spanning three fields set for Waltham greenbelt

A solar park spanning three fields on the greenbelt will be installed in Shurlock Row after the council voted in favour of the project.

The solar energy park, headed for land in The Straight Mile, is marked as temporary – set to be up and running for 35 years.

Because it is offering green energy generation, it meets the ‘very special circumstances’ required to justify building on the greenbelt.

Officers recommended the plans for approval because it would create ‘a significant reduction in carbon emissions’; a community benefit via a community fund’ and a ‘significant biodiversity net gain.’

The energy park would take up a 286,300sqm of agricultural land, classed as a mixture of ‘good’ (grade 3a) and ‘moderate’ (grade 3b) quality.

The loss of this farmland and greenbelt was a significant concern for councillors opposed to the application at the Maidenhead Development Management Committee on Wednesday evening.

Councillor Leo Walters (Con, Bray) said: “Here we go again – a whole load of ‘good reasons’ to build on the greenbelt. We won’t have any left if we keep on going like this.”

He added that the loss of good agricultural land for growing food meant this was not the right place for an
energy park.

Cllr Walters added that the Borough Local Plan states a preference for building structures like this on previously developed land, such as places that have been used for warehouses.

“日光之下对所有的政策依据nst this application,” he said.

Cllr Walters also cast doubt on the definition of a 35-year structure as ‘temporary’, as did fellow Conservative councillor Maureen Hunt (Hurley and Walthams) – who also raised concerns over the height and scale of the structures.

The solar energy park would include six power stations, all about 12.1m long, 2.4m wide and 2.9m high.

However, Cllr Geoff Hill (TBFI, Oldfield) said that this was very different to previously refused, larger power stations, designed to be permanent – in that the solar park would be much easier to remove.

It is expected that the
land will revert back to its original state after the park is dismantled, and that the soil quality will actually be improved as a result of biodiversity enhancements.

Cllr Gary Reeves (Lib Dem, Cox Green) echoed these thoughts and said that agricultural land is ‘only just’ in the scale to be categorised as 3a (‘good) – it is largely only ‘moderate’ quality.

He added that the sustainable energy generation from this is ‘nothing to sneeze at’ and will help the Borough do its bit to tackle climate change.

Given the scale of the solar park and its ‘unsightly’ nature, members of the public also raised concerns about the impact on the openness of the greenbelt.

Sarah Goodchild of Waltham St Lawrence and Shurlock Row Parish Council said this was an ‘unacceptable’ environment and the energy park ‘would fundamentally change the landscape’ for at least 30 years.

This reflects concerns raised in writing by several residents on the Windsor and Maidenhead planning portal (reference 22/02820/FULL).

But ultimately, on balance, the committee felt that the benefits outweighed the harm in this case and voted in favour of allowing the plans to go ahead.