Agenda item

Report number:     CAB/WS/20/066

Portfolio holder: Councillor Andy Drummond

Lead officer: David Collinson

Resolved:

That:

1.           The draft Statutory Consultation response to Sunnica’s Preliminary Environmental Information Report (PEIR), as set out in Appendix A to Report Number CAB/WS/20/066, being a joint response between West Suffolk Council, Suffolk County Council, East Cambridgeshire District Council and Cambridgeshire County Council under s42 of the Planning Act 2008, be endorsed.

2.           The Assistant Director (Planning and Regulatory Services), in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Regulatory, be authorised to make amendments to the draft consultation response, prior to its submission to Sunnica Ltd.

(Report number: CAB/WS/20/066)

The Cabinet considered this report, which explained that the Sunnica Energy Farm was a scheme for the installation of solar photovoltaic (PV) generating panels and on-site energy storage facilities across two sites within Suffolk and Cambridgeshire.  The proposal would include the infrastructure associated with the required connection to the national grid, including an extension to the Burwell National Grid Substation.

During the statutory consultation, which commenced on 22 September 2020, Sunnica were seeking views on the proposed solar farm, including the short and long term construction, environmental, operational impacts, as well as impacts from decommissioning.  Specifically, the statutory consultation was to provide feedback on the Preliminary Environmental Information Report (PEIR) that had been presented at this stage.  The PEIR would incorporate the results of the environmental surveys that had been carried out and would set out Sunnica’s preliminary conclusions on any potential significant effects of the proposal on the environment.

Officers were undertaking a detailed review of the PEIR and working collaboratively with Officers at Suffolk County Council, East Cambridgeshire District Council and Cambridgeshire County Council in order to produce one cross-boundary response to the Statutory Consultation.  The draft response was set out in Appendix A to Report Number CAB/WS/20/066.  This would continue to be developed as further reviews of the PEIR were undertaken by technical officers and further dialogue took place between the four affected authorities.  The Cabinet also noted that Suffolk County Council Cabinet had also recently approved this draft response.

Councillor Andy Drummond, Portfolio Holder for Regulatory, also informed the Cabinet that Sunnica had confirmed that the consultation period would now be extended to 18 December 2020, due to the latest COVID-19 restrictions.  The extension of this consultation period would be publicised by Sunnica in line with their Statement of Community Consultation, which would include writing to all addresses and elected members within Consultation Zone 1, writing to all district and county councillors and parish councils within Consultation Zone 2 and the publication of the extension in local newspapers and social media advertising.

Councillor Carol Bull, Portfolio Holder for Governance, commended the very comprehensive and detailed response.  She wished to refer to Appendix A which referenced the Draft Outline Landscape and Ecology Management Plan.  Councillor Bull specifically referred to page 41 of the agenda papers which set out the controlling of Ragwort and stated that because of its potential serious long-term harm, it was important to ensure that this was dealt with correctly.  Councillor Drummond acknowledged the point and confirmed that this particular element would be further reviewed within the response to ensure that it was sufficiently robust.

The Cabinet also wished to commend the work of the Officer Team on the compiling of this very detailed and comprehensive response.

          Resolved:

          That:

1.           The draft Statutory Consultation response to Sunnica’s Preliminary Environmental Information Report (PEIR), as set out in Appendix A to Report Number CAB/WS/20/066, being a joint response between West Suffolk Council, Suffolk County Council, East Cambridgeshire District Council and Cambridgeshire County Council under s42 of the Planning Act 2008, be endorsed.

2.           The Assistant Director (Planning and Regulatory Services), in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Regulatory, be authorised to make amendments to the draft consultation response, prior to its submission to Sunnica Ltd.