Bethan

PLANNING MEETING - TUESDAY 22nd DECEMBER SHIREHALL PLEASE MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO ATTEND TO SHOW SOLIDARITY TO THE OBJECTIONS. See below for details : TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING ACT 1990 PLANNING REFERENCE: 15/03975/FUL DEVELOPMENT PROPOSED: Construction of a solar farm to include solar panel arrays, substation inverters, a primary substation, and perimeter stock fencing SITE LOCATION: Land At Rhosygadfa, Gobowen, Shropshire, , . APPLICANT: Mr David Meehan This application will be considered by the Northern Planning Committee on 22nd December 2015 commencing at 2.00pm At Shirehall, Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY2 6ND The recommendation - Grant Permission. You can find out if anyone has registered to speak for / against the proposal or if the committee members will be carrying out a site visit at the property by contacting Emily Marshall on 01743 252726. A copy of the committee agenda / report is available at Castle View, Oswestry, Shropshire, SY11 1JR or on the Councils website, www.shropshire.gov.uk/planning, (select ‘Planning Applications’, then select ‘Planning application process’), 5 days before the committee.

Keith knew the rules for declaring vested interests. He's been under investigation since the summer. Why didn't he resign then?

Just read this in the Documents - Background papers - 'FURTHER INFORMATION RE NOISE' on the new application (15/03975/FUL) Dear Kelvin, Following the comments of the Public Protection Officer please find in the below email further information in respect of noise and mitigation. As far as I am aware there are no other outstanding issues at this point. Could the remaining consultees please be chased up as their consultation expiry date passed a number of weeks back. My client has informed me that it is absolutely pivotal that the application goes to the 22nd December 2015 North Planning Committee in order to allow a build out prior to April 2016 (if approved). The project cannot extend beyond this timeframe due to the ROC subsidy cuts due to come into force at the start of April 2016. Please do contact me at the earliest opportunity should you require any further information. Kind regards Nick Putting pressure on the Planners AGAIN - I hope Kelvin's shoulders are broad enough!!

I cannot find a Neighbourhood Plan for Gobowen & Selattyn Parish Council in the public domain. Oswestry Town Plan up to 2020 makes no reference to alternative energy as an objective to reduce CO2 omissions. Very regrettable. The monitory contribution, originally offered by the Elgin Developers for the Solar Farm to the Parish Councils, has now been withdrawn, so there is even less benefit to the local community. However, the new housing developments in Gobowen will yield very high CILs for the Shropshire County Council. Maybe this could be reduced ever so slightly to encourage the developers to install Solar Panels on the roofs?

Agreed, but surely Parish Councils can make suggestions? S C C (Shropshire County Council) can make justifiable design demands without any difficulties! Read an article yesterday - worth considering : Imagine if you were thinking of buying a new house, and found it didn't have a shower and wash basins in the bathroom. And they hadn't bothered to put electricity plugs and light sockets in the spare bedrooms. If you wanted these items you would have to fit them yourself. When you asked the salesman about this skimping on essentials, he said it saved you £3000, so you should be grateful. This wasn't so far from the state of things as recently as the 1960s. Many homes did not have central heating. It had to be messily added on a few years later, and at considerable cost. Today we expect new homes to be finished with those details throughout. So why are most new homebuyers deprived of an additional, and very useful, feature, a source of free energy that will continue to deliver, with little or no maintenance for many years to come? I think making volume builders fit solar panels to all new homes is such a blindingly obvious, and simple, green initiative by the government that I struggle to fathom why they don't do it. It's even more puzzling when you consider those panels could help the UK meet legally-binding Co2 reduction targets. In the village where I live, I've noted the outbreak of shiny panels on roofs, from old to newish, over the past four years. They are on former council houses, 19th century cottages, and all sorts of postwar properties and some shops and industrial buildings. The only place you don't see panels is on historic, often listed properties (understandable), and on the roofs of those several hundred brand-new homes built over the past four years or so. Quite baffling. The builder, I'm sure, will have done whatever building regulations dictate to achieve energy efficiency. There will be double glazing, hot tank lagging, attic insulation and draught proofing. But not a single solar panel, unless the buyers fitted them themselves afterwards. And retrofitting is actually less likely because the last thing new owners want to do is shell out on an add-on to a new house, particularly one they could have had in the first place, after they have arranged the mortgage and started the repayments.

Parish Council Meeting went well although One or Two members looked bored - maybe they wanted to go home early?!! Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think that the Council have made it a planning condition for ANY new build in Gobowen to have solar panels fitted. Many Councils now stipulate that they MUST be fitted. If the S C C are so keen to achieve their objective for alternative energy supply, why don't insist on solar panels being fitted to ALL new builds - domestic, industrial, agricultural, and business in general?

LETS HOPE WE GET A GOOD RESPONSE. I THINK THE MEETING WILL START AT 7.00 PM

I believe that our Parish Council have their monthly meeting this Wednesday 14th October. I cannot yet find the agenda for the meeting. Can anyone tell me where it can be viewed? On the otherhand, whether the subject is on the agenda or not, maybe, as many members of the public as possible should go to this meeting to 'air their views' AGAIN, and request that the PC send a letter requesting more information? It seems that the application proposes for solar panels to be erected on Land classified as grade 4 and 5 of which one has SOME large stones! Surely it's not beyond the wit of man to remove a few stones enabling the land to become even more productive!! One cannot get away from the fact that these fields are ' Greenfield' NOT 'Brownfield' sites

Here we go again!!! A little bird from Rhosygadfa tells me that a revised proposal has been submitted to the Shropshire Planning Authority for a Solar Farm to be installed. It's a smaller version of the original. It now covers an area of over 34 acres (original was 78, then 52 acres), capable of generating 5 MWp. The Planning Ref. is 15/03975/FUL. Worth reading to se and understand if the new application addresses the reasons for the Council rejecting the original application.

Hi Robmit, Tonight's Shropshire Star (Wednesday 8th July - page 7) heading reads: 'Lights go out on bid for 52-acre solar farm' It's a Report by Sue Austin and the first line reads : 'PLANS for a huge 40,000 panel Solar farm in countryside near Oswestry have been thrown out by Shropshire Council' I think we can take it that it has been rejected - it's quite a long article and make for pleasing reading!! Maybe it's one of these situations at SC where the RH doesn't know what the LH is doing?!! (or maybe is a few days behind!)

Committee Members did a tour of the perimeter of the site and the weather cleared up just in time. A small group of protesters held their placards to show solidarity. THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT THE APPLICATION WAS TURNED DOWN!!! A big thanks goes to Brian Case and Hugh Ellis for speaking in the Council Chambers and A VERY BIG THANKS INDEED TO Cllr DAVID LLOYD without who's support it may not have been turned down. He spoke with clarity of thought, knowledge, understanding, and with passion. Whether this project is permanently terminated is yet to be realized, but, at least, the first hurdle has been cleared!

I am given to understand that Members of the Shropshire County Planning Committe are going to make a site visit tomorrow morning (Tuesday 7th July) at 11.00 am. ahead of their Meeting in the Shirehall, Shrewsbury at 2.00 pm. Hope the weather is dry and clear to encourage as many people as possible come in support (or otherwise) of this massive project Bring your 'brollies' if it's wet!!

I am so sorry to read your message, Robmit. Please accept my sincerest sympathy andhope that you will remain strong in these most difficult times. An e-mail list was given to the Parish Council and I understand that Robert Macey was to circulate everyone on it with the details of the Planning Meeting (mentioned earlier), but to the best of my knowledge NO-ONE has been informed - yet another failure to communicate!

Has everyone given up on this topic!!! Final decision has NOT been made! Further discussions at Planning Committee Meeting next Tuesday 7th July at 2.00pm at Shire Hall, Shrewsbury. An appeal is out for as many residents as possible to attend to show the depth of opposition. Please, Please make an effort to be there!

This notice was posted on the Application today. There are 3 posts dated today, and are worth reading. I hope the G & S Parish Council e-mail all the interested parties TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING ACT 1990 PLANNING REFERENCE: 14/03946/FUL DEVELOPMENT PROPOSED: Construction of a solar farm comprising the installation of (circa) 60,000 ground mounted solar panels; 10 inverters; electricity substation; 27 x 3m high pole mounted CCTV cameras; 2.4m high security fencing SITE LOCATION: Proposed Solar Farm At, Rhosygadfa, Gobowen, Shropshire, . APPLICANT: Elgin Energy Esco Limited This application will be considered by the Northern Planning Committee on 7th July 2015 commencing at 2.00pm At Shirehall, Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY2 6ND The recommendation - Grant Permission. You can find out if anyone has registered to speak for / against the proposal or if the committee members will be carrying out a site visit at the property by contacting Emily Marshall on 01743 252726. A copy of the committee agenda / report is available at Castle View, Oswestry, Shropshire, SY11 1JR or on the Councils website, www.shropshire.gov.uk/planning, (select ‘Planning Applications’, then select ‘Planning application process’), 5 days before the committee.

It seems a long time since the P C Meeting in Selattyn when it was resolved to reject the application on the same grounds as that specified originally. I understand that the Shropshire Planning Committee cancelled their April Meeting and that the next was to be held on 14th May. I presumed that this took place. At the Parish Council Meeting in March, it was agreed that Robert Macey would contact all those, who wrote down their e-mail addresses, of the date that the Shropshire Planninng Committee were going to deliberate on the application. Has anyone got any news of progress? Hopefully all grants have now been withdrawn for all unapproved applications!!

As I recall at the Public meeting arranged by the Parish Council, there was a comment made that the maximum yield of 15 MWp from 60,000 panels was sufficient to supply 4000 homes with electricity. Due to the efficiency of the panels and the varying amounts of sunshine and other weather conditions, it was mentioned that only 11% of the yield would be realised over a 12 month period! This means that production would only be sufficient for about 400 homes only. The changes proposed have reduced the productivity to 10 MWp (33%less) which, using the above criteria, reduces the number of homes to 264! How can anyone justify such a huge expenditure(£mil.) and claim it to be an efficient investment?

For those who are unaware : There will be a Sellatyn & Gobowen Parish Council Meeting next Wednesday (11th March) and it will take place at The Hall, Selattyn School, Selattyn, commencing 7pm. The agenda has been published. 4th item (No. 211) is for 15 minutes set aside for the public to speak on items on the agenda. 7th item (No. 214) is on Planning Items and point b is to give consideration to the revised plan for the Proposed Solar Farm at Rhosygadfa which includes the reduction in the number of solar panels. The details can be viewed on the Shropshire Planning site. Amongst other things, it includes reducing the number of panels from 60,000 to 40,000. I doubt, even if the whole of the15 minutes allocated for the public to speak is used on this subject alone, that there is sufficient time to have a meaningful discussion on the revised application. As many residents as possible in our community should attend this meeting, as this application (even with the changes suggested) is still a HUGE industrialisation of PRIME agricultural land. We must protect our countryside for future generations and not permit land to be desegrated in this manner. I am sure that, given a small amount of forward thinking, that there would be young farmers willing to take on the challenge of cultivating 78 acres? The development and use of Solar Energy is important but there are far better ways of achieving this other than covering beautiful fields with iron, concrete and glass!

The revised plan can be viewed on the original planning application Ref 14/03946/FUL. Lots of new documents - will take some reading and absorbing. I hope it's still only a proposal, and can still be challenged? In brief - ths site has now been reduced to 40,000 panels on 52 acres - STILL HUGE. Lots of 'blurb'. New Campaign needed!!??

I was under the impression that this application was likely to be discussed by the SCC planning committee meeting scheduled for 16th December. It was 'put off', and was expected to be on the January agenda. It was not on that agenda either. As Maggie says, the agenda for next meeting, sheduled for 17th Feb (week tomorrow), has not been declared yet! Hopefully this means that the committee have grave doubts about this application going ahead, but it would be in the interest of everybody for someone to give a progress report, if only to give a date, as the application has failed to be discussed at the two meetings since it was first scheduled. Does the SCC planning have extended leave of absence over Christmas or are they all out 'gritting the roads'? Ha Ha! Surely, if they are overwhelmed with applications, why don't they schedule an extraordinary meeting to discuss the more 'straight forward' ones? Don't be shy if you want to speak, Maggie!

Has anyone heard of any progress or decisions by the SCC Planning on the solar installation? I understand that there have been men in 'dayglow' jackets with clip boards walking the area before Christmas, but everything has gone really quiet! There is nothing new either on the SCC Planning Application. Could it be that further reports are awaited? Is it possible that the application has been refused in its present form and recommendations made so that it can be resubmitted? If so, does it mean we have to go through the same process of consultation and Council Meetings?

Well, ... I understand the meeting went as well as can be expected last Thursday. Not a single member of the large audience was in favour - and only one councillor was in favour (Well, he does have a vested interest in Solar Panels anyway, doesn't he?!). Maybe he didn't realise that the vote was on the Application, NOT on the benefits of Solar Energy!!! Many valid reasons were put forward to reject the Application. Let's hope the Shropshire Planners will take ALL our views into account. I believe a vote of thanks was extended to our Councillors for arranging the meeting which gave a good opportunity for the Community to express their views. I second that!

It's an open meeting and the only subject is the Planning Application 14/03946/FUL So I think you can voice your opinion (so long as there's not too many 4-letter words!!!!)

I think I saw a plot of land (about 10.6 acres) with planning permission going for sale in Gobowen for £3,250,000 (Right Move)! If I'm not mistaken, the owner is the same as the applicant for the Solar Farm. So why the rush for a few £000,000's subsidy for industrialising beautiful contryside - a slight odour of greed maybe !!??