Green light for installation of solar farm to power Chesterfield Royal Hospital

Controversial plans to install a solar farm on a greenfield site to provide a third of the electricity needed to power Chesterfield Royal Hospital have taken a step forward.

The borough council has approved a planning application from Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust for the installation and operation of ground mounted solar panels with infrastructure, engineering operations and ancillary works.

Planners provisionally consented to the application in April this year for a site north of the hospital, subject to a mandatory drainage and flooding review.

Following its review, Yorkshire Water recommended a condition that no piped discharge from the application site should take place until works to provide a satisfactory outfall, other than the existing local public sewerage, for surface water have been approved by the Local Planning Authority.

Four conditions have been attached to the latest consent based on advice from the Lead Local Flood Authority. The conditions relate to the submission of a detailed design and associated management and maintenance plan of surface water drainage, demonstration that the proposed destination for surface water accords with the drainage hierarchy, details indicating how additional surface water run-off will be avoided during construction and submission of a soil management plan.

Comments raised by objectors to the hospital’s planning application included: loss of land, industrialisation of the countryside, detrimental impact on views from public rights of way and neighbouring residential heritage property, potential damage to wildlife habitats, road network unsuitable for inevitable/increased (heavy) traffic, noise pollution from inverters, substations or cooling apparatus and the fire and safety risk associated with Battery Energy Storage Systems, including thermal runway, explosion potential and toxic gas emissions.

The site is currently a grass field with a section of temporary car park (to be removed) and is adjacent to existing plant building.