Vogt solar achieved consent for the installation of a 4.6MW solar farm development on land at Luscott Barton within North Devon District Council. This development has the ability to power up to 790 homes and offset approximately 1,596 tonnes of CO₂ each year. This co-location project was quite complex due to being sited within the grounds of an existing windfarm. There were significant cumulative issues and heritage setting impacts that needed to be mitigated. Neo environmental worked in consultation with the developer and AVANT Planning for the project.

Neo Environmental’s involvement:

Neo Environmental undertook all of the environmental assessments required for the successful consent of the proposed development and advised on the final design of the solar farm. The assessments and reports completed by Neo Environmental included: Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (including multiple photomontages), Landscape Plan, Ecological Appraisal, Biodiversity Management Plan, Cultural Heritage and Archaeology, Land Discounting Study, Agricultural Land Justification and Construction Traffic Management Plan.

The main constraint was the proximity of a listed building and associated demesne and the setting of these. Through liaising with the council conservation officer and Historic England the impacts were mitigated sufficiently to allow the development to proceed. There were also ecological and landscape constraints which were mitigated successfully.

The layout of the solar farm evolved throughout the determination period, resulting in a successful development.

Neo Environmental have also been commissioned to discharge the planning conditions attached to the consent, including a noise assessment, ecology and onsite archaeological works.