Controversial plans to create a solar farm in Eastbourne Park are set to go in front of councillors next week.
On Tuesday (August 20), Eastbourne Borough Council’s planning committee is due to consider proposals to create a photovoltaic solar farm, together with battery energy storage and associated infrastructure, on land to the south of Cross Levels Way.
While recommended for approval subject to conditions, the scheme has attracted at least 114 letters of objection, due to concerns around the archeological, ecological and visual importance of the site.
The Eastbourne Society, a group involved in heritage conservation within the town, is among those to have raised concerns. In a statement submitted in response to the application, a spokesman for the group said: “The board of trustees of The Eastbourne Society is not against the concept of a solar farm being built within the town, but we are objecting to this application as we believe more work needs to be done by the applicant not only on the impact that the solar farm will have on the biodiversity of the site, but also on the way the company will manage the farm to preserve and enhance biodiversity once it is operational.
“We also believe the visual impact of the proposed development should be a major factor when this application is considered. The area is part of the lungs of the town. That was a reason that it was designated Eastbourne Park, to prevent any encroaching development.
“Furthermore, to state the obvious, Eastbourne’s economy is currently largely dependent on tourism. The visual impact of its location, not only as a seaside town but also as a gateway to the South Downs, cannot be undervalued or taken for granted and must also be a major factor when this application is considered.”
Similar calls for further biodiversity assessment have been raised by the Eastbourne Biodiversity Group, the Sussex Ornithological Society and Buglife – The Invertebrate Conservation Trust.
The site itself is formed of two fields (classed as “moderate quality” agricultural land), which sit either side of the railway line between Hampden Park and Eastbourne.
The land has been allocated within Eastbourne’s local plan as a suitable location for renewable energy infrastructure, but is also a designated local wildlife site, within an archaeological notification area and a functional flood plain.
In a report to be considered by the planning committee, officers also acknowledge the site is considered likely to contain Great Crested Newts. Officers say the applicant is in the process of applying to join a licensing scheme, which involves habitat creation and long term monitoring to mitigate the impact of development on the protected species.
The report also says the site has the “indisputable potential to contain internationally significant preserved prehistoric timber remains that may require either preservation in-situ, or detailed, protracted and expensive archaeological excavation.”
As a result of some of these issues, officers are recommending any grant of planning permission be made subject to conditions. These conditions would make planning permission contingent on the applicant successfully securing the licence connected with the conservation of Great Crested Newts and further consultation with both Natural England and the council’s own environment protection officer.
They would also require the applicant to conclude its consultations with the county archeologist. The report notes how this is an ongoing process, which could result in “significant costs” should further work be required on site.
Overall, however, planning officers consider the scheme to be acceptable, as long as the outstanding technical issues are resolved.
In the report, a council planning spokesman said: “The site is allocated within the local plan as a suitable location for renewable energy and therefore complies with planning policy regarding the use of the site.
“The proposed solar farm will have no detrimental impacts on the amenity of residential occupiers that surround the site, nor will the visual impact cause significant harm. The application is found to be in accordance with national and local planning policy.”
For further information on the scheme see application reference 230800 on the Eastbourne Borough Council website.
