How to Object

It is important for as many people as possible to register their objections.

 

Comments should be emailed  to: comaps@tandridge.gov.uk quoting TA/2022/963

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We suggest you email comments for the time being, until Tandridge confirms the planning comments form is working. Please ensure you receive an email receipt

 

The deadline for objections is 10 September.

Most will be concerned about landscape  as the site falls within an AGLV, which is currently under consideration for designation as an ANOB.

 

 Developers,  have seriously under-estimated how many people value this local heritage landscape. They say it is a “landscape of moderately valued characteristics at a local or community level with a moderate level of susceptibility to change from the Proposed Development.” It is therefore really important to make sure the council appreciates just how valued the landscape is.

 

Developers have seriously over-estimated how effective their tree-planting proposals are going to be to screen the development: a narrow band of trees, to screen a large elevated area and on their own assumptions the trees would only screen it within 15 years!

 

The places where it will be most visible are: 

• From the railway bridge on Monks Lane, down as far as the gate into the field on the left. Indeed, the site will be immediately adjacent to passers-by at this point. There will also be a key site entrance here. 

• North over the railway bridge at the south  of Grants Lane,  particularly impacting the setting of Black Robin’s farm (Grade II),  Partridge Farm, as well as disturbing views into the Chart AONB

• It will be highly visible from the Tandridge Border Footpath from Grant’s Lane 

• It will remain visible as you travel north along Grants Lane, next to Staffhurst Wood, including in particular from the Staffhurst Wood car park, with some shielding by trees, less so in Winter

• It will be visible from Monks Lane (part of the Tandridge Border Footpath) as you travel east away from Staffhurst Wood car park, with some shielding by trees, less so in Winter

• It will be visible from the footpath which runs through the field  south of Monk’s Lane to Black Robin’s farm

• The construction site entrance will impact the view from the footpath entrance on Monk’s lane which runs between Caper’s Farm and Monk’s farm (also part of the Tandridge border path).

 

With that in mind, we suggest that your objections should explain how you use the area and how it would impact on you. You might want to use these ideas as starting points:

 

• “As a local resident/resident of Edenbridge/Oxted/Hurst Green I frequently walk along these footpaths and lanes.”

• “I often walk along Monks Lane and Grants Lane. Because the site is on a slope, and immediately next to Monks Lane, the solar farm and site entrance will be visible at all times of the year.”

• “I particularly enjoy and appreciate the unique from the south of Grants lane, looking north to the Chart. The view is a heritage farmland setting, comprising the historic, listed Black Robin’s Farm, historic field pattern, also encompassing views of Staffhurst Wood. This walk/my enjoyment of this areas will be damaged by the appearance of solar panels. I do not accept that the impact can be satisfactorily mitigated by tree planting.” 

• “Access to the open countryside is particularly important these days – it makes a significant contribution to my mental well being.”

• “The presence of an industrial scale solar farm will prevent me from seeing the countryside and enjoying the countryside as I currently experience it.” 

• “As a local resident/resident of Edenbridge/Oxted/Hurst Green (insert other area) I often cycle/walk/ride along Monks Lane, south of Grants Lane. The views along these lanes will be hugely negatively impacted by the construction of huge numbers of solar panels and the associated infrastructure and my enjoyment of the countryside will be damaged.”

• As a local resident/resident of Edenbridge/Oxted/Hurst Green (insert other area) I often walk along the Tandridge Border Path south of Black Robin’s Farm/on Monk’s Lane/through Caper’s Farm (delete as appropriate) . The views along these footpaths will be hugely negatively impacted by the construction of huge numbers of solar panels and the associated infrastructure and my enjoyment of the countryside and amenity of the area will be damaged.” 

If you use Monks and Hilders lane for leisure and recreation it is absolutely that you register you concerns and any adverse experiences.

 

• The developers estimate the build period will take around 4-6 months, and suggest this could start in late 2022 or in 2023. During that time there may be up to 15 HGVs per day entering and leaving the site from both Monks Lane and Hilders Lane.

• We are gravely concerned about the safety of construction vehicles on small narrow local lanes, which are key leisure routes for walkers, riders, runners and cyclists, linking up a variety of footpaths and bridleways. The plans even state that 50 metres of hedging on Monks lane will need to be removed for “safety”

• Over the last year there have been a number of occasions where local construction traffic for housing developments on Honeypot lane has completely blocked Monks lane or led to cars entering ditches.

The  developer’s environmental and ecological impact assessments is another  concern. It is based on a desk-top study or what they have seen on a small number of visits.

 

• The statement that there are no badgers or water voles and a limited number of greater crested news is inaccurate. There are a large number of water voles and frequent badger sightings in this area. The survey is also incomplete given that only 7 of 12 local water bodies were surveyed.

• Significantly, the ecological survey was limited in scope to 50m beyond the proposed fence so did not cover the Crooked River to the west of the site which will be materially impacted: it thus failed to consider a major part of the local ecosystem.    

• The report also states that the site is not “directly” adjacent to or in any designated areas, yet Staffhurst Wood – a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest is only a few hundred metres away, and the impact on this important site has not been properly considered.

• We are also concerned about the viability of the proposed wild flower meadow. Wild flowers famously require infertile land and developing a meadow on agricultural land which has been fertilised and manured for decades is unlikely to succeed.

• The feasibility of planting areas of woodland to screen the site is also doubtful. Planting deciduous trees on sloping impermeable clay will not succeed without material irrigation in dry weather or suitably developed drainage in wet periods, for which there is no infrastructure or mention in the report.

The objections are your own - here are some suggestions to adapt to your experience 

 

Impact on Landscape Character and Visual Amenity

• “As a local resident of (insert other area) I cycle/walk/ride along Monks Lane, Grants Lane or walk along the Tandridge Border Path south of Black Robin’s Farm/on Monk’s Lane/through Caper’s Farm (delete as appropriate) .  The views along these lanes will be hugely negatively impacted by the construction of huge numbers of solar panels and the associated infrastructure and my enjoyment of the countryside will be damaged.”

Flood risk

• "The developer’s fail to properly address flood risk to local properties in Edenbridge and Limpsfield. I am concerned about the increased flood risk to my property (insert relevant details of flood risk and events). 

Ecological impact – Staffhurst Wood

• "The developers state  the site is not “directly” adjacent to or in any designated areas, yet Staffhurst Wood – a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest is only a few hundred metres away and tis not assessed. As a regular user of this amenity I am really concerned."

Loss of Agricultural land

• "The  site is made up entirely of ‘best and most versatile agricultural land’. A portion is graded 3a, and most of the site is graded 3b. It is important that Tandridge council recognises national guidance which creates a strong presumption against solar farms on productive agricultural land"

Road Safety

• I am concerned about the safety of 15 HGVs per day (30 movements) during construction on small narrow local lanes, Wolf's Row, Short Lane, Grants Lane and Monks Lane which are a key leisure routes for walkers, riders, runners and cyclists, linking up a variety of footpaths and bridleways."

We are gravely concerned about the quality and adequacy of the developer’s assessment of the flood risks: it fails to properly address the flood risk to “at risk” local properties in Edenbridge and Limpsfield.

 

• Concerningly, the report suggests there is only a flood risk to the site itself (failing to account for properties just a few hundred meters away), and says it can be managed by filter drains and soakways. This is troubling because it is well known that building a soakway in clay soil is challenging because of the low water infiltration rates.   

• In summary, the site is next to two watercourses (the Crooked River and Kent Brook) which flow into the River Eden, and which already flood regularly. Solar panels obviously do not absorb water, and we are concerned that the development is likely to accelerate waterflow and therefore flood risk in times of high rainfall.

• If you are concerned that the proposed solar farm will seriously increase the chance of flooding to your home or business due to the effect of accelerated run-off into the Kent Brook or Crooked River, it will be important to mention the flood risk to your property in your objections, including details of actual or near miss flooding events at your property or to local roads.

• In particular, the report fails to address the risk of flooding in downstream Edenbridge, a high risk flood area. The report does not appear to recognise the sensitive local hydrology and downstream impacts, and fails to recognise that the Edenbridge “area of special drainage need” starts just a short distance downstream of the site. In light of the inadequate report, we believe that it is vitally important that both Sevenoaks and Tandridge Councils carefully assess the flood risk now at the planning application stage.

The application suggests that the development might create some noise. This is not something we were previously aware of and we are considering it further. We do not want to cause any undue alarm about this, and indeed the report submitted by the developers’ consultants emphasise that they think it won’t create a disturbance.

 

However, it is obviously a cause of some concern, and if you live in one of the nearby houses it might be worth saying so, and highlighting any concern about noise pollution.

 

• One point we would make is that the consultants’ report uses an entirely theoretical model to predict the noise impact.

• We also note that they measure in decibels, and they conclude that the noise will be lower than the normal background noise: but of course a background ‘hum’, even if it isn’t louder than the background noise, might still be identifiable and disturbing.

• If you want more details on this, see the Noise Impact Assessment, document 24922723 (note in particular the map of local properties on p.24, which links to the predicted impacts at p.19..

The proposed site is made up entirely of ‘best and most versatile agricultural land’. A portion is graded 3a, and most of the site is graded 3b. Over the years the site has supported arable farming which is consistent with the crops grown on immediately adjacent fields, which includes cereal crops such as barely, maize and other grains.

 

Importantly, speaking at an Environmental Audit Committee meeting on 29 June 2022, George Eustice, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, confirmed that national guidance, “created a strong presumption against solar farms on Best and Most Versatile land, and that is classified in law as grade 3B or above” and expressed concern about some local authorities ignoring this guidance. It is important that Tandridge recognises this important guidance.

 

The number of applications for solar farms has soared nationally – in part because of the very healthy rents developers pay landowners; however, the drive to create green energy should not be at the cost of building over good fertile agricultural land. In light of the current economic crisis and the fragility of international food supply, serious and responsible thought also needs to be given to the UK's self-sufficiency to grow its own crops. The government’s own solar policy also emphasises that government’s priority is to see solar panels placed on brownfield sites and roof tops.