UPDATE from Mike Bull

When I wrote a short message a few days ago about the latest developments relating to solar panels on  the countryside and on agricultural land,  I mentioned that I had also written to the Planning Officer Thea Billeter and had asked if she had picked up any information about whether the applicants in respect of the Great Curham Farm application are showing any inclination to appeal the recent refusal of planning permission.  I also then promised that if I heard anything I would pass that on to you.

I have heard back from Thea today.  She confirms that she has heard NOTHING but also confirms what we know - that the applicants do have until the end of February to lodge an appeal if they wish to do so.

She agrees with me that the whole attitude in Government has changed in relation to solar panels on  the countryside and on agricultural land,  and she has commented that this is currently demonstrated by the large number of appeals that are being dismissed in recent months.

Given this major shift in the climate relating to this type of development I feel very confident that there will NOT be any appeal. However only time will tell, of course!

Best wishes to you all,

Mike

Liz Truss: Solar farms in rural areas 'make the heart sink'

Liz Truss, the Environment Secretary, tells The Telegraph that solar farms are putting Britain's "beautiful" rural landscape at risk

She told The Telegraph: “English farmland is some of the best in the world and I want to see it dedicated to growing quality food and crops. 

“I do not want to see its productive potential wasted and its appearance blighted by solar farms. Farming is what our farms are for and it is what keeps our landscape beautiful.

“I am committed to food production in this country and it makes my heart sink to see row upon row of solar panels where once there was a field of wheat or grassland for livestock to graze.

“That is why I am scrapping farming subsidies for solar fields. Solar panels are best placed on the 250,000 hectares of south-facing commercial rooftops where they will not compromise the success of our agricultural industry.”

Read the full article here

 

Happy New Year from Mike and Gill Bull

Hello to everyone in Ash Thomas who sees this.  I do hope that you all had a good Christmas. I wish a very HAPPY NEW YEAR to all friends in the village and the local community.

Gill and I have had a really good Christmas and, while we will always miss being among you there where we will always feel at home in Ash Thomas, we have got well settled here in Glossop and are very happy here among our family. We spent Christmas with all of them and all the grandchildren That makes us very lucky.

I do remain "on the case" about Great Curham and the solar panels aspirations of Martin Fisher and the developers / applicants. I always will be watching that and will continue to support all the many objections. I did write to the Planning Officer some months ago to ask if she had picked up any information about any likely appeal.  I got no response so I suspect that they have not heard anything. However I am dropping her another line now and will let you know if I get a response to this latest enquiry.

In the meantime I suspect that many will have seen the very recent article published in the Daily Torygraph (sorry, Telegraph) on 28 December 2014. I have scanned the article and attach a copy. Many apologies for having had to cut and stick it to get it all on one page. That does not make it easy to read but if you print a copy it is far easier because you can simply turn the page through 90 degrees when required!

This article sounds even more like a death knell for any large applications but even more certainly in respect of a proposal affecting 50 acres of Grade 1 land.  I would put their chances of success at appeal no greater than about 5 per cent.  They would be foolish in my view to even speculate and risk wasting the large professional fees that would be involved in filing an appeal!

HAPPY TIMES!

Very best wishes to all and a VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR.

Mike and Gill Bull

Parish Council Meeting: 9th December 2014 - 7pm

As a Neighbouring Parish, the Parish council have been asked to consider this proposal for Stonehill Farm and to give a recommendation accordingly.

This will be considered at the next Planning Meeting on 9th December in the Halberton Village Hall starting at 7.00pm.

It  is again a proposed solar park, on at least part grade 1 farmland, which is against both national and local planning policy and will be clearly seen from the area of Five Bridges in our Parish.

New Solar Site - Stonehill Farm

In case you do not know, the planning application for a solar site
at Stonehill Farm has been modified and re-submitted. 

If approved, this would be a very large site, with about 22000 
panels partly on what appears to be Grade 1 land.

The reference number at MDDC is 14/01949/MFUL. 

If this application is successful it could set a precedent 
for other applications. Below is a link to a recent article 
in the Gazette

Any letter regarding this application needs to be with Mid Devon 
District Council (MDDC) Planning Department by 16th December.

Open letter from Mike Bull - Remain Resolute!

Hello,

Although I am some distance away from Ash Thomas now I have still been being active over the solar panel planning application.  I have had a lot of contact with other key players so the refusal of permission has came as no surprise to me.  I have been totally expectant of it and was aware that it would very probably happen by the end of last week.

Other things continue.  The applicants have made an approach to Halberton Parish Council which I am following up.  I fully expect to be writing to their Clerk very soon and I intend to copy that letter to you in due course.

I had heard a rumour that this second application might well have been withdrawn and a new one for just 8 acres re-submitted but in the end that did not happen.  I am pleased about that.  However, everyone must work on the thought basis that the applicants will appeal the refusal of this recent second application.  They may not do that but we should assume that they will.  We must all be vigilant and determined!  There should be no weakening at all.  They try to grind communities down and Ash Thomas will be the loser of we do not maintain determination.

If there is an appeal then everyone must continue with their stuff, write to resist the appeal and remain determined and consistent.  Any weakening will just play into the hands of the appellants.

However, what may now happen is that the developers will try yet again with a much smaller application.  This is, I think, more likely.  Here again determination must prevail.  If the community does not maintain its objections - and especially on the Grade 1 land argument - then the case could be lost in the end.  I remain convinced that IF ASH THOMAS REMAINS RESOLUTE - the entire war will be won and no solar panel development will get an approval on the Grade 1 land.  If there is weakening then MDDC might also weaken.  They must not be allowed to do that.
I will continue to fight this cause alongside everyone in the Ash Thomas community even though I now live 250 miles away.  This is so important!  And I will keep you informed about what I continue to learn.

Best wishes to all
Mike Bull

Refused Again

Planning Permission has been refused

MDDC have once again refused permission for the building of the industrial solar site for the same reasons as before:

1. inappropriate use of Grade 1 (BMV) land
2. visual impact
3. impact on St Andrews Church, Halberton

The full 16 page document is available on the MDDC website http://docs.middevon.gov.uk/pap/index.asp?caseref=14/00889/MFUL  It is the currently untitled pdf document with the received date of 29/08/14 listed under OFR - OFFICER REPORT

It remains to be seen if a second appeal will be launched.