We need your help!

We recently submitted our planning application for Chelson Meadow community solar farm. The Planning Committee must hear that people support the need for this, otherwise all of our hard work might be lost...

The benefits of this are far reaching and it’s the best opportunity we have to increase Plymouth’s renewable energy generation significantly.

We know that to avoid the worst effects of climate change we need cut our carbon emissions, and we need to do that quickly. The generation of renewable energy is an important part of what we can do to achieve this, recognised globally by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and as part of the UK Government’s Net Zero Strategy. This project allows Plymouth to increase energy resilience and play its part in cutting carbon. It also provides a positive example to others how to do this at large scale whilst still being community owned and providing community benefit.

Please can you help us by officially submitting positive, supporting comments to the local planning committee in response to the application before 22^nd March?

Registering your support is simple: just click on this link, and it take you straight through to the ‘Make a comment’ section on the planning portal. Login or register to make your comment (you don’t need to live in Plymouth to do this).

It’s important that your letter of support shows how the proposed Solar Farm supports the delivery of the Plymouth and South West Devon Joint Local Plan.

To make it easier for you, here are some suggestions for what you could say:

I support the installation and operation of a Solar Farm (approx. 13 MW) at Chelson Meadow, Plymouth because:

1. There is an urgent need to address climate change by reducing reliance on fossil fuels in favour of renewable energy, as indicated by the UK and PCC declaration of a climate emergency and the commitment to make Plymouth carbon neutral by 2030.
2. The development supports the UK Net Zero Strategy and its commitment to decarbonise the electricity network by 2035.
3. The solar farm will support the Joint Local Plan policy aspirations to increase Low Carbon and renewable energy developments as set out in Policy DEV32 and DEV33.
4. The submitted Ecological Impact Assessment and Biodiversity Management Plan provide realistic and considered plans to deliver a 25% net gain in Biodiversity and therefore significantly exceed the policy requirements for biodiversity as set out in the Joint Local Plan’s Policy DEV26.
5. The results of the Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment, and Heritage Assessment reports demonstrate that the plans will not cause significant harm and are being brought forward in a sensitive manner. The plans are therefore compliant with the Joint Local Plan’s Policy DEV21 and DEV23.
6. The proposal supports the long term delivery of the proposed Saltram Countryside Park by facilitating two new strategic recreational access improvements and is therefore compliant with PLY54 & DEV27.

We really appreciate your support. It would be wonderful if you could also pass this request on to friends, family, neighbours, colleagues – anyone who you think might be supportive of increasing renewable energy generation in Plymouth.

For updates, FAQs and information about the potential benefits of this exciting project, please visit the Chelson Meadow project page.