Planning Application

In February 2022 RES submitted a planning application for a 49.9MW solar farm on Kingston Estate, approximately 1.3km south of Gotham and 0.75km northwest of East Leake.

Electronic copies of the planning application and accompanying documents can be viewed or downloaded by clicking on the links below.

From 1st March 2022 a hard copy of the planning application and accompanying documents can be viewed at East Leake Parish Council Office, 45 Main Street, East Leake, LE12 6PF.  The council office is open from 9am to 1pm, Monday to Friday.  

Volume 1

• Application Form
• Design and Access Statement
• Planning Statement
• Planning Statement Appendix A: Pre-application Response
• Planning Statement Appendix B: EIA Screening Direction
• Planning Statement Appendix C: SLR Mining Risk Assessment
• Statement of Community Involvement

Volume 2 - Figures

• Site Location Plan
• Site Location Map
• Field Numbers
• Site Layout Plan
• Infrastructure Layout
• Access Track Detail
• Construction Compound Detail
• PV Module and Rack Detail
• Security Fence Detail
• CCTV Detail
• Inverter Substation
• Client DNO Substation
• Deer Fence Detail
• Public Rights of Way Section Plans (updated Aug 22)
• Cumulative Map
• Public Rights of Way Plan
• Indicative Track with Bridleway Crossings (added Aug 22)

Volume 3 - Technical Appendices

• Landscape and Visual Assessment (LVA)
• LVA Appendix A - Figure 1.1 Land Character Area map
• LVA Appendix A - Figure 1.2 Land Designations map
• LVA Appendix A - Figure 1.3 Public Rights of Way Plan
• LVA Appendix A - Figure 1.4 Viewpoint Locations 
• LVA Appendix A - Figure 1.5 ZTV with woodland
• LVA Appendix A - Viewpoint 1 (Gotham) and Viewpoint 2 (Near Hillside Farm)
• LVA Appendix A - Viewpoint 3 (PRoW South of Wood Lane) and Viewpoint 4 (PRoW Wood Lane at the corner of BW10 & BW11) 
• LVA Appendix A - Viewpoint 5 (PRoW Near Oak Wood) and Viewpoint 6 (Midshires Way Near Rushcliffe Golf Course)
• LVA Appendix A - Viewpoint 7 (PRoW Fox Hill) and Viewpoint 8 (PRoW Near Grange Farm) 
• LVA Appendix A - Viewpoint 9 (East Leake) and Viewpoint 10 (West Leake) 
• LVA Appendix A - Viewpoint 4 (PRoW Wood Lane at the corner of BW10 & BW11 year 0 and year 10) 
• LVA Appendix A - Viewpoint 6 (Midshires Way Near Rushcliffe Golf Course year 0 and year 10) 
• LVA Appendix A - Viewpoint 7  (West Leake year 0 and year 10)
• LVA Appendix A - Figure 1.14a - Landscape and Ecological Management Plan
• LVA Appendix A - Figure 1.14b - Landscape and Ecological Management Plan
• LVA Appendix A - Figure 1.14c - Landscape and Ecological Management Plan
• Ecological Assessment (EcA)
• EcA Appendix 2A - Figure 2.1 Statutory Environmental Designations
• EcA Appendix 2A - Figure 2.1.1 Pond Map
• EcA Appendix 2A - Figure 2.2 Non-Statutory Environmental Designations
• EcA Appendix 2A - Figure 2.3 Habitat Survey Map
• EcA Appendix 2.1 - Extended Phase One Survey Report
• EcA Appendix 2.2 - Biodiversity Management Plan
• EcA Appendix 2.3 - Net Gain Assessment
• EcA Appendix 2.4 - Bird Hazard Management Plan
• Cultural Heritage Impact Assessment (CHIA)
• CHIA Appendix 3a - Figures
• CHIA Appendix 3b - Methodology and Asset Tables
• CHIA Appendix 3c - Site Inspection Plates
• CHIA Appendix 3d - Geophysical Survey Report Part 1
• CHIA Appendix 3d - Geophysical Survey Report Part 2
• Flood Risk and Drainage Impact Assessment (FRDIA)
• FRDIA Appendices
• Construction Traffic Management Plan (CTMP) (updated Aug 22)
• CTMP Appendix 5a - Figure 5.1 Proposed Haul Route
• CTMP Appendix 5a - Figure 5.2 Swept Path Analysis
• CTMP Appendix 5a - Figure 5.3 Visibility Splay
• Noise Assessment
• Glint and Glare Assessment (G&G)
• G&G Appendix 7a - Figures
• G&G Appendix 7b & 7c - Residential Receptor Glare Results 
• G&G Appendix 7d & 7e - Road Receptor Glare Results 
• G&G Appendix 7f & 7g - Aviation Receptor Glare Results
• G&G Appendix 7h & 7i - Rail Receptor Glare Results
• G&G Appendix 7j - Visibility Assessment Evidence
• G&G Appendix 7k - Solar Module Glare and Reflectance Technical Memo
• Outline Construction Environmental Management Plan
• Agricultural Land Classification Survey
• Arboricultural Impact Assessment
• Public Rights of Way Management Plan (updated Aug 22)

Additional Information I

In August 2022, RES submitted additional information in relation to the Kingston Solar Farm application.  The additional information relates to concerns raised and ecological surveys.  Links to the additional information can be found below.  As part of the additional information, the Construction Traffic Management Plan, Public Rights of Way Management Plan and Public Rights of Way Section Plans were updated and a new plan was added showing the Indicative Track with Bridleway Crossings.  Links to these documents can be found above.

• Ecology Rebuttal
• Response to Concerns

Additional Information II

In December 2022, RES submitted additional information in relation to the Kingston Solar Farm application.  The additional information relates to the removal of all solar infrastructure from field 16 which runs adjacent to Stocking Lane, as well as from the southern portion of field 15.  The additional information can be viewed by clicking on the links below.

• Greenbelt Assessment
• Site Layout Plan
• Landscape and Visual Assessment Addendum
• Figure 1.4 Viewpoint Locations 
• Viewpoint 5 (PRoW Near Oak Wood) and Viewpoint 6 (Midshires Way Near Rushcliffe Golf Course)
• Viewpoint 7 (PRoW Fox Hill) and Viewpoint 8 (PRoW Near Grange Farm) 
• Viewpoint 6 (Midshires Way Near Rushcliffe Golf Course year 0 and year 10)
• Figure 1.13a - Landscape and Ecological Management Plan
• Figure 1.13b - Landscape and Ecological Management Plan
• Figure 1.13c - Landscape and Ecological Management Plan

Additional Information III

In February 2023, RES submitted additional information in relation to the Kingston Solar Farm application.  The additional information relates to the removal of further solar infrastructure from field 15.  The additional information can be viewed by clicking on the links below.

• Site Layout Plan
• Infrastructure Layout
• Landscape and Visual Assessment Addendum
• Viewpoint 5 (PRoW Near Oak Wood) and Viewpoint 6 (Midshires Way Near Rushcliffe Golf Course)
• Viewpoint 6 (Midshires Way Near Rushcliffe Golf Course year 0 and year 10)
• Figure 1.13a - Landscape and Ecological Management Plan
• Figure 1.13c - Landscape and Ecological Management Plan
• Addendum to Biodiversity Net Gain Assessment

Hard copies of some planning documents are available on request.  Please contact us for more information.

Reasons to Support the Kingston Solar Farm Proposal

There is now widespread recognition that the UK, and the rest of the world, is in a climate emergency.  Renewable energy has a significant part to play in meeting the UK’s targets of eliminating fossil fuels from the UK electricity market by 2035 and achieving net zero greenhouse emissions by 2050. Reports have shown that in order to achieve net zero by 2050 the UK will need to quadruple its low carbon electricity generation. Solar energy has an important part to play in helping reach these targets, as well as providing a balanced energy mix, and it is estimated that 40GW¹ of solar will be needed by 2030 to stay on track with net zero ambitions, with 63%² (or 25GW) of this coming from large scale ground mounted solar farms.

Solar is a free and inexhaustible resource which has an important role to play as part of a balanced energy mix. Large scale solar, alongside onshore wind, is now the cheapest source of electricity generation³ making solar development not only beneficial for the environment but also for bill payers.  If consented, Kingston Solar Farm would be capable of producing clean, green electricity for approximately 13,500⁴ homes every year.

Another environmental benefit of the solar farm is that we propose a large range of measures which would significantly enhance the biodiversity of the site, such as planting native trees and species-rich hedgerows to provide a plentiful source of food and shelter for a range of fauna, developing species-rich grassland across the site, the creation of 3.2 acres of native woodland and installing dormouse, bat and bird boxes, hedgehog houses, invertebrate hotels and bee banks.  Our proposals would lead to a biodiversity net gain of 44.88%.

The solar farm could deliver direct benefit to the area - generating jobs during construction and decommissioning. Inward investment can be significant as a range of services will be required including haulage, on-site welfare facilities, refuse and recycling facilities, transport and local accommodation for construction workers. In addition, the solar farm would be paying business rates every year, money which goes direct to Rushcliffe Borough Council to support local services.

If, having read the above, you would like to support the Kingston Solar Farm proposal, you can do so by submitting a representation in a number of ways:

1. Online: via the Planning Online website.

2. Email: by emailing Rushcliffe Borough Council at planningandgrowth@rushcliffe.gov.uk

3. Post: by writing to Rushcliffe Borough Council at Rushcliffe Arena, Rugby Road, West Bridgford, NOTTINGHAM, NG2 7YG

The planning reference is 22/00319/FUL and should be included in all correspondence.

^{1 https://www.theccc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/CCC-Accelerated-Electrification-Vivid-Economics-Imperial-1.pdf}

^{2 https://solarenergyuk.org/resource/lighting-the-way-making-net-zero-a-reality-with-solar-energy/}

^{3 https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6556027d046ed400148b99fe/electricity-generation-costs-2023.pdf}

^{4 The homes figure has been calculated by taking the predicted average annual electricity generation of the site and dividing this by the annual average electricity figures from the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) showing that the annual UK average domestic household consumption is 3,748 kWh (Dec 2021).}