EIA Required for Mamhead House Solar PV Park

Teignbridge District Council have decided that an Environmental Impact Assessment WILL be required following a request from Green Switch Solutions Ltd. for a screening opinion concerning a proposed 5.5 MW solar PV park on land at Mamhead House. The case officer's letter points out that:

In such a sensitive location you are likely to encounter significant obstacles to gaining support from officers for reasons which I trust are explained in this letter.

The sensitivity of the location is explained as follows:

The development would be wholly sited within a Grade II* Listed Park and Garden (Mamhead) that is located within an Area of Great Landscape Value and is therefore likely have a significant landscape impact;

The site is considered to be within the setting of a significant number of important Listed buildings including the Grade I Listed Mamhead House, numerous Grade II* Listed buildings including Mamhead Castle and several Grade II Listed buildings at Home Farm and Brinshill and is likely to have a significant impact on those settings; and

The development has the potential to have a significant impact on a high number of heritage assets such that significant effect on the environment is highly likely.

Apart from this proposal to construct yet another solar farm visible from the viewpoint by the Mamhead Obelisk another two screening opinion requests have also recently been received by Teignbridge District Council. The first is from Kronos Solar Projects GmbH for a 25 hectare solar PV park at Lower Rixdale Farm between Luton and Ashcombe. The second is for a 4 MW installation at Appletree Close in Chudleigh Knighton.