The petition of residents of Arundel and South Downs,
Declares that the proposed site on land to the south, south-west and north-west of Malham Farm and north-west of Oakwood Farm, Wisborough Green is inappropriate for the construction of a 20MW solar farm by Renewable Connections, due to its scale, location, and associated impacts on the rural setting and residents; further declares that there are no exceptional circumstances that require a solar farm to be built there, and that the local harms far outweigh the merits of this proposal.
The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the Government to engage with local residents’ groups and to encourage Chichester District Council to refuse planning permission for the proposed 20MW solar farm in Wisborough Green.
And the petitioners remain, etc.—[Presented by Andrew Griffith, Official Report, 2 December 2025; Vol. 776, c. 962.]
[P003140]
Observations from the Minister for Housing and Planning (Matthew Pennycook):
Due to the role of Ministers in the planning system, I am unable to comment on individual cases.
By law, planning applications are determined in accordance with the local development plan, unless material considerations indicate otherwise. Each application is judged on its own individual merit and the weight given to these considerations is a matter for the local planning authority as the decision-taker in the first instance.
Where relevant considerations are raised by local residents within the 21-day statutory publicity period, these must be taken into account by the local authority. However, the weight attached to a particular consideration is a matter of judgment for the local authority as the decision-maker in the first instance.