In July Stansted Mounftichet Parish Council submitted its response to a proposal to build a solar farm between Stansted Mountfitchet and Birchanger. Below you can read why the parish council is in opposition to this project.
Uttlesford District Council Planning Application Reference: UTT/25/1742/FUL
Construction and operation of a solar farm comprising ground mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) arrays and battery storage together with associated development, including inverter cabins, substation, customer switchgear, access, fencing, CCTV cameras and landscaping.
Introduction
Planning application submitted for the construction and operation of a solar farm, etc sited on Metropolitan Green Belt and Grade 2 agricultural land. The energy from this development will service the commercial businesses at Stansted Northside (BOX:STN), topping up the 15,000 MWh generated from rooftop solar energy at BOX:STN, with approx 30,000 MWh of energy to support HGV recharging for one company. There will be a shortfall of around 55,000 MWh, which will be drawn from the National Grid.
Narrative
- Green Belt , Grade 2 Agricultural Land & Grade II Listed Buildings
- Protection of the Green Belt.
Referencing the NPPF December 2024, chapter 13. Protecting green belt land, para 142:
‘The Government attaches great importance to Green Belts. The fundamental aim of Green Belt policy is to prevent urban sprawl by keeping land permanently open; the essential characteristics of Green Belts are their openness and their permanence.
Para 143. Green Belt serves five purposes:
- to check the unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas;
- to prevent neighbouring towns merging into one another;
- to assist in safeguarding the countryside from encroachment;
- to preserve the setting and special character of historic towns; and
- to assist in urban regeneration, by encouraging the recycling of derelict and other urban land.’
The ‘roads’ to be built on site, (up to 6 metres wide, plus drainage gulley), could establish a ‘Grey Belt’ for future housing development to be facilitated. The same can be said for the establishment of a ‘Power Hub’ which would make this an attractive selling point for any developer or its successors, when the Solar Farm is dismantled. The decommissioning statement to return the land to its former use/condition should be detailed and must be enforced.
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Agricultural Land
Referencing the NPPF December 2024, chapter 15. Conserving and enhancing the natural environment, para 187b and footnote 65:
‘Planning policies and decisions should contribute to and enhance the natural and local
environment by: recognising the intrinsic character and beauty of the countryside, and the wider benefits from natural capital and ecosystem services – including the economic and other benefits of the best and most versatile agricultural land, and of trees and woodland.’
‘Footnote 65: ‘Where significant development of agricultural land is demonstrated to be necessary, areas of poorer quality land should be preferred to those of a higher quality.’
(*) Reference House of Commons Library Planning for Solar farms
‘Planning guidance regarding agricultural land
Government guidance encourages renewable energy developments in England to use previously developed and non-agricultural land.
For small-scale solar farms (currently below 50 MW) government planning practice guidance says that planning authorities should encourage development on previously developed and non-agricultural land. The National Planning Policy Framework states that when located in the Green Belt, elements of many renewable energy projects will comprise inappropriate development” (NPPF, para 160).’
An updated National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) was published in December 2024, with a new policy on renewable energy located in the Green Belt. ‘This requires developers to demonstrate ‘very special circumstances’ for locating ‘small scale’ solar farms (those generating below 100 MW from 31 December 2025) within the Green Belt.’
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Impact On Grade II Listed Buildings
Referencing NPPF, chapter 14. Meeting the challenge of climate change, flooding and coastal change, para 167.
‘Local planning authorities should also give significant weight to the need to support energy efficiency and low carbon heating improvements to existing buildings, both domestic and non-domestic (including through installation of heat pumps and solar panels where these do not already benefit from permitted development rights). Where the proposals would affect conservation areas, listed buildings or other relevant designated heritage assets, local planning authorities should also apply the policies set out in chapter 16 of this Framework.’
Parsonage Farmhouse is a grade II listed building, in a semi rural setting surrounded by open fields and farmland. Its former barn, also a grade II listed building, forms part of a small development of five dwellings. These buildings will be surrounded by solar panels, which will not be providing any benefit to the residents of these homes, nor to the businesses at the M11 Link Business Park.
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Protecting the Environment
The Environment Agency has lodged an objection for a number of reasons, including but not limited to flood risk and drainage, proximity to main river, biodiversity and ecology habitats, groundwater contamination.
Following the posting of the EA response, the Parish Council has reviewed the application from an environmental perspective.
The application fails to correctly identity the Great Hallingbury Brook (a statutory main river) as a watercourse running through the site. There has been inadequate assessment of risks to water quality, ecology and habitats.
There is no detail on how this development will contribute towards improving the ecological status of this watercourse and it is therefore in breach of Uttlesford Core Policy 34. The EA are concerned that there have been errors in the proposals of the BNG calculation, because of the misidentification of Great Hallingbury Brook. There has been no river condition assessment carried out. The Parish Council supports the concerns of the EA that the BNG assessment is inaccurate and does not comply with NPPF paragraphs 180 and 186 ‘planning system should conserve and enhance the environment by minimising impacts on and providing net gains for biodiversity…’
The Parish Council supports the concerns of the EA of insufficient information assessing the risks to wildlife and protected species (NPPF para 170 and 175).
The applicant has not provided adequate information on the management of risks to groundwater. The development is within source protection zone 3. There is a potential risk to groundwater quality from the BESS development, particularly fires, where pollution from batteries could enter the groundwater. (NPPF para 174).
Is there adequate detail on what will happen with the materials once decommissioned?
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Community Benefit
The Planning and Infrastructure Bill (PIB), introduced on 11 March 2025, contains a host of measures which aim to streamline and speed up the consenting process, as well as measures aimed at increasing community acceptability of transmission network infrastructure.
The powers established in the PIB, will introduce electricity bill discounts for those closest to new or significantly upgraded transmission network infrastructure. Bill discounts are considered most appropriate because, unlike many other forms of new infrastructure, there are no other tangible benefits of transmission infrastructure to the locality (e.g. jobs, skills, inward investment).
The applicant states that:
- the vast majority of the electricity demand at the site is forecast to come from HGV and fleet charging facilities, with ‘total annual electricity demand forecast to be in the region of 92,000 megawatt hours (MWh) per year’;
- by ‘maximising rooftop solar PV on the units within the BOX:STN development, it is estimated that 15,000 MWh of energy can be generated each year’;
However, the proposal to provide c.41,500 solar panels generating c.30,000 MWh of electricity per annum to primarily serve BOX.STN leaves a shortfall in the energy requirements versus the energy supply, as stated by the applicant: ‘the Proposed Development provides the opportunity to generate c.40% of the power required by BOX:STN in the form of clean energy.’
Despite the provision of a battery storage system alongside solar array to store excess energy to maximise the on-site consumption of the generation, there is still a need for supply from the National Grid. The applicants’ claim that this installation will lift the strain on the National Grid is unsound. There are numerous other national green energy generation sites being built in the UK which will produce much more power.
This Solar Farm is there to supply the new ‘North Stansted Distribution Hub’. Surely, its power needs should primarily be provided on site and not from a remote source?
The overall advance in Solar technology, for example the new solar array at the London Stadium, although costly, is lighter and therefore cheaper than the cost of the groundwork and preparation, in building a solar farm between Stansted Mountfitchet and Birchanger. Each distribution unit would greatly benefit from such an installation.
This application would not offer any direct benefit to the local communities. The application does not demonstrate community benefits, for example a grid connection offer, such as how the M11 Link business users could connect to the supply at a future date, for the lifetime of the solar farm and how the residents and businesses within the communities of Stansted and Birchanger will benefit.
There is no evidence that alternative sites, which are not on the Green Belt, have been explored.
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Glint and Glare
We note that in their assessment, Pager Power recommended that their report should be made available to the safeguarding team for Stansted Airport to understand their position along with any feedback or comments regarding the proposed development. There is no mention in their glint and glare study, however, of helicopter flights. Helicopter flight paths when leaving Stansted Airport takes them directly across the proposed solar farm, over the M11 towards Hazel End Wood which is between Birchanger and Stansted Mountfitchet.
We note that National Highways and Safeguarding Stansted have raised concerns regarding glint and glare.
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Security and Fire Safety
The local police have commented on security and raise concerns regarding criminal activity.
‘Thefts from solar farms are on the rise, fuelled by rising metal prices with items from solar panels, to cabling, batteries and ancillary equipment.’
‘The proposed fencing will be Mesh Wire HT 13/190/15 which is “deer fencing”. This type of fencing should not be considered as adequate security fencing as it is easily defeated by determined criminals (which has been evidenced on numerous occasions around the UK).’
‘Hedging needs regular maintenance to ensure it does not obscure CCTV.’
The Environmental Health response dated 18 July 2025 recommends:
‘In view of the rural location of the site, it is essential to ensure that any external lighting is properly designed and installed to avoid any adverse impacts on residential neighbours from obtrusive/spill-over light, or glare. The following condition is therefore recommended to secure this: Details of any external lighting to be installed on the site, including the design of the lighting unit, any supporting structure, and the extent of the area to be illuminated, shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority prior to the development commencing. Only the details thereby approved shall be implemented.’
Fire safety – A detailed programme of monitoring, maintenance and repair should be submitted prior to approval.
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Traffic Management Plan
The plan prepared by SLR Consulting Ltd revision 02 dated 17 June 2025 makes for some interesting reading.
Referring to the cycle route ‘roads in proximity to the site generally comprise local roads with low-speed limits. Such roads are suitable for on-carriageway cycling to local residential areas such as Stansted Mountfitchet.’
Swept path analysis undertaken for a 16.5m HGV to access to the site from both the western and eastern routes from the SRN highlighted an issue with the western route via Stansted Road and the A120, due to ‘the limited width of Forest Hall Road at its western end with the junction at Stansted Road B1383, HGVs are unable to turn left from Forest Hall Road onto Stansted Road without impacting on the pedestrian island located at the centre of the highway.’
This conflicts with the following paragraph from the Design and Access Statement dated June 2025, para 2.22 in which the applicant confirms ‘For completeness, no consultation has been had with the Council in regard to access of the Proposed Development and no specific issues have been identified that might affect the access arrangements.’
The plan continues: ‘it is proposed that a one-way system is implemented for HGVs accessing the site from the SRN during the construction phase, with HGVs travelling to the site via the A120 and Stansted Road (Western route) and departing the site for the SRN to the east via Church Road and Bury Lodge Lane (Eastern Route).’
In addition, when exiting the site ‘due to the constrained width of Parsonage Lane, HGVs may need to wait to depart the junction before safely manoeuvring onto Parsonage Lane eastbound.’
In their response, National Highways have responded “The CTMP currently states that deliveries will be “scheduled to coincide with off-peak periods” and that traffic will be controlled “as far as possible” to avoid the SRN during peak periods. While we welcome this intent, National Highways requests that this is strengthened to provide a clear, enforceable commitment. We recommend the CTMP is updated to include the following: Construction traffic accessing or exiting the site via the Strategic Road Network (SRN), including the M11 and A120, shall avoid weekday peak periods (defined as 07:00– 09:30 and 16:00–18:30) unless otherwise agreed with National Highways and the Local Highway Authority. This would provide greater certainty that the SRN will operate safely and efficiently during the construction phase, particularly given the use of abnormal loads and HGVs.
The Parish Council would further request that delivery vehicles waiting to enter the site, must not wait or park up on any neighbouring streets or verges; a holding area must be stipulated in the TMP. It should also recognise the footpath opposite Parsonage Lane from FHP, the school, the pedestrian crossing and the bus stops on Church Road.
The Parish Council note and support Essex Highways comments regarding PRoW and the junction of Forest Hall Road / Stansted Road.
Light vehicle trips to site (staff and contractors) ‘It is expected most of them will be transported to site using a staff bus or via car share arrangements.’ The Parish Council would support this being encouraged and details of how this would work should be submitted prior to determination of the application.
Conclusion
Stansted Mountfitchet Parish Council OBJECTS to this application for development in Metropolitan Green Belt providing no community benefit.
- This is Metropolitan Green Belt.
- This development is not an effective use of land in line with planning practice guidance (*see above) which encourages the siting of large scale solar farms on previously developed and non-agricultural land, and not Green Belt land.
- The application does not demonstrate community benefits. The shortfall in energy supply which will need to be supplied from the National Grid (according to the Design and Access Statement c.52,000 MWh per annum), means there will be no energy benefit to the communities at the Business Park, nor for the villages of Stansted and Birchanger.
- Impact on Grade II listed buildings which will be surrounded by solar panels, yet not providing any benefit to the residents of these homes, nor to the businesses at the M11 Link Business Park.
- Impact on the natural environment has not been adequately assessed – flooding, water quality and wildlife.
- Impact on M11 road users due to the proximity of the panels to the M11 (67m) and note that National Highways has expressed their concern on this issue. Stansted Airport have advised in the past they have no control over the helicopter flightpaths.
There are no “very exceptional circumstances” for this development on Green Belt land.