Bristol-based chartered surveyor and property consultancy Sanderson Weatherall has helped secure planning permission for a solar park at the Ashcombe Estate, near Dawlish, Devon on behalf of Solstice Renewables. The overall site area is 29 hectares, with the area covered by solar panels comprising 17 hectares.
With a capacity of 7.5 MW, the solar park will generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of approximately 2,100 average homes annually, which is around one third of the homes in Dawlish. The solar park, over time, is expected to save an estimated 2,700 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually.
The Sawmills Solar Park is located within the Ashcombe Estate, 3.2km west of Dawlish. The site is ideal for this purpose, thanks to the high average sun hours, good grid connections and transport links, and the bowl-shaped landscape which will naturally screen the park from view. What's more, the site is very well screened within the landscape and a substantial programme of ecological improvements formed a key part of the planning application. The solar park also adjoins two Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Sanderson Weatherall and Solstice Renewables worked closely with consultees such as Natural England and local planning officers to ensure the application was acceptable.
“Sawmills Solar Park will bring excellent benefits to the local community, with a dedicated community fund, educational benefits and substantial biodiversity improvements, as well as providing locally-generated renewable electricity," said Giovanni Maruca, director of
Solstice Renewables. "Sanderson Weatherall’s town planning team was helpful and knowledgeable and steered us smoothly through the planning application process.”
Agents for
Sanderson Weatherall devised a planning strategy and coordinated the preparation and submission of the application, attended the public exhibition and successfully negotiated planning permission for the development, which was granted by delegated authority without any pre-commencement conditions.