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City of York Council |
Committee Minutes |
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Meeting |
Planning Committee A |
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Date |
20 March 2025 |
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Present
In Attendance
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Councillors Crawshaw (Chair), Fisher (Vice-Chair), Ayre, J Burton, Clarke, Steward, Whitcroft, Moroney, Watson, Wilson (Substitute for Cllr Melly) and Orrell (Substitute for Cllr Cullwick)
Gareth Arnold – Development Manager Sandra Branigan – Senior Lawyer Erik Matthews – Senior Planning Officer |
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Apologies |
Councillors Melly and Cullwick |
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153. Apologies for Absence (4.33pm)
Apologies for absence were received and noted for Cllrs Cullwick and Melly.
154. Declarations of Interest (4.33pm)
Members were asked to declare at this point in the meeting any disclosable pecuniary interest or other registerable interest they might have in respect of business on the agenda, if they had not already done so in advance on the Register of Interests. Cllr Ayre declared an interest as a member of the Shareholder Committee and could not take part in the consideration of the application for Yorwaste, Harewood Whin, Tinker Lane, Rufforth, York [23/01732/FULM]. There were no further declarations of interest.
[Cllr Ayre left the meeting at 4.34pm]
155. Minutes (4.34pm)
Resolved:
i. That the minutes of meeting held on 16 January 2025 be approved as a correct record subject to a change to a minor typographical error and the addition of an informative about short term lets and C3 use and the additional conditions and items for the S106 heads of terms (as detailed in the committee update) being included in the proposal and resolution.
ii. That the minutes of the meeting held on 5 February 2025 be updated subject to the correction of minor typographical errors.
156. Public Participation (4.36pm)
It was reported that there had been no registrations to speak at the meeting under the Council’s Public Participation Scheme on general matters within the remit of the Planning Committee A.
157. Plans List (4.36pm)
Members considered a report of the Head of Planning and Development, relating to the following planning applications, outlining the proposals and relevant policy considerations and setting out the views of consultees and officers.
158. Yorwaste, Harewood Whin, Tinker Lane, Rufforth, York [23/01732/FULM]
Members considered a major full application from Mr K Smith for the installation of a solar farm with associated infrastructure, access and security fencing at Yorwaste, Harewood Whin, Tinker Lane, Rufforth York.
The Development Manager gave a presentation on the application. Members were provided with an update to the report detailing corrections to the officer’s report at paragraph 4.1, 5.5 and 5.13. The revised consultee responses from Design and Conservation (Trees and Landscape) and the Carbon Reduction team were noted. Members were advised of a revised Condition 10 (landscape scheme and an additional condition regarding the submission and approval of drawings for the solar PV arrays.
Public Speakers
Hannah Wafer, Agent for the Applicant, spoke in support of the application. She explained that it was an application for a solar farm in the Green Belt. She noted that City of York Council had declared a climate emergency and that the development met energy needs. She noted that the development was unique and included planting along the boundaries. She explained how the applicant had worked proactively with the council on the application. She was asked and explained the applicant had spoken to both airfields who had initially been concerned about glare from the solar farm and she noted that areas A and B were not impacted.
Using the screen in the room, the Development Manager showed where area C of the site was on the indicative site plan and also where the planting was on the site.
Following debate, Cllr Fisher proposed the officer recommendation to approve the application following a referral to the Secretary of State, revised condition 10 and additional condition regarding the submission and approval of drawings for the solar PV arrays. This was seconded by Cllr J Burton. Following a unanimous vote in favour, it was;
Resolved: That the application be approved subject to a referral to the Secretary of State and revised Condition 10 and additional condition:
Revised Condition 10
No development shall take place until there has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority a detailed landscape scheme in accordance with the approved Landscape Strategy. This shall include the species, stock size, density (spacing), percentages and position of trees, shrubs and other plants, seeding mixes, sowing rates and notes on establishment and maintenance with reference to the Landscape and Ecological Management Plan. This scheme shall be implemented within a period of 12 months from the start of development of development operations on site or within 6 months of the completion of development, whichever is sooner. Any trees or plants which within the lifetime of the development die, are removed or become seriously diseased, shall be replaced in the next planting season with others of a similar size and species, unless the Local Planning Authority agrees alternatives in writing.
Additional Condition
Prior to the construction of the solar PV arrays a drawing showing the finalised layout of the arrays and associated infrastructure shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority.
The development shall be carried out in accordance with the approved drawing and details.
Reason: In the interests of visual amenity, landscape character and airfield safety as the submitted drawings are marked “indicative only” in accordance with policy D2 of the Local Plan.
Reason: The proposal for the construction of a solar farm is acknowledged to be inappropriate development within the Green Belt and to give rise to landscape harm. However, subject to appropriate conditions the proposal is felt to be acceptable in terms of flood risk and drainage, biodiversity, loss of agricultural land, and transportation and access. It is felt that the clear environmental benefits when put in the context of the declared climate emergency, of generation of a significant quantity of renewable energy clearly outweighs the harm to the Green Belt and the localised harm to the adjoining landscape character. The proposal is therefore considered to be acceptable in planning terms and approval is recommended subject to referral to the Secretary of State, on the basis that it falls within the thresholds in respect of development in the Green Belt contained within the 2024 Town and Country Planning (Consultation) England Direction.
Cllr J Crawshaw, Chair
[The meeting started at 4.30 pm and finished at 4.52 pm].