The RSPB has today written to the National Planning Casework Unit to ask that the Secretary of State issues a direction requiring West Dorset District Council to refer the Rampisham Down solar farm application to him for his own determination. Known as a "call-in" you can read the background to this application and the issues it raises here. A copy of our letter is available in full below.
We believe, as stated in the letter:
"The application would result in the direct loss of approximately 40.5ha of lowland acid grassland, equating to over half of the Rampisham Down Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The RSPB is extremely concerned about the implications of allowing development which would contravene national planning and wildlife protection policies. We support the detailed comments made by Natural England and the Dorset Wildlife Trust in relation to the unacceptable level of damage on the nationally important Rampisham Down SSSI and the scope for siting this solar farm application on an alternative less ecologically harmful site. The RSPB is in no doubt that this application raises important issues of national significance, which should be scrutinised at a public inquiry conducted by an independent Inspector before being decided by the Secretary of State. There are many parallels with the development proposals at the Chattenden Woods and Lodge Hill SSSI in Kent, and damaging a large proportion of a SSSI clearly involves matters of significant national interest and is in breach of the Government’s own policy."
You can read the detailed comments by Natural England here and by Dorset Wildlife Trust here
On Friday the Depatment for Communities and local Governement (DCLG) wrote to West Dorset Council, asking them not to grant permission on this application without specific authorisation. This is a sensible move given the issues, and we hope that over the coming weeks the Secretary of State takes the decision to call in the application and put the matter to a public inquiry.
If you agree with this, please do make your thoughts known to DCLG via the Wildlife Trusts e-action here