Planning vital for renewable energy projects

If you are thinking about anaerobic digestion we recommend that you seek early guidance from a renewables planning expert so that you choose the most suitable site.

The best site won't necessarily be nearest to the farmstead.

Putting the digester around the corner from the farmstead, well screened from view, could be a better option.

Questions to ask about site selection include:

• Is your site physically suitable?

• How visual will it be in the landscape?

• Neighbours – how close are they?

• Traffic – what is local road network like?

• Noise, odour and air quality – will these create a nuisance? Are there any pollution, surface or groundwater issues?

• Ecology – are there any sensitive sites nearby or any habitats or species affected on site?

You will also need to have an available grid connection – 11kv minimum, depending on the type of renewable installation.

Other considerations will be the design of the plant, access, flood risk, nearby historic features, rights of way and whether the site is green belt.

Local knowledge is gold dust.

You need to identify the movers and shakers in your area and gain the trust of your neighbours.

Pre-application and Environmental Impact Assessment responses are valuable so that you have all the facts and figures at your fingertips

ngaging with the planning process is vital to satisfy all the requirements of the stakeholders.

Taking planning advice early could reduce the heartache and expense of a failed application.

In the last few years, we have submitted planning applications for more than 30 plants across the area ranging in size from 150kW to a big 2.3MW and have satisfied clients looking at a five-year pay back on their investment.

Obtaining planning consent can be a lengthy process but get it right first time and you could save yourself a lot of time and hassle.

Stephen be contacted at the Shrewsbury office of Berrys on (01743) 267062 or email Stephen.locke@berrybros.com