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Petition title: Decline planning permission for the development planned proposed as Parc Solar Caenewydd Text of petition: Decline planning permission for the development planned proposed as Parc Solar Caenewydd; on farm land at the farm known as Penyfodau Fawr Farm, Swansea, SA4 4LN and surrounding areas. This development will result in some of the farm being covered in solar panels. The resulting visual impact will be negative on an approach route close to the Gower AONB. It will have a negative impact on green space. Not only will natural beauty be affected; ground nesting birds will be affected as well as migration routes of bird species. This project can not be allowed to progress. A farm that provides vital services to the local community will be changed significantly. Loss of green space. Animal habitats will be affected. Whilst this project may be proposed as one that meets the criteria for green renewable energy; it can not be allowed to go ahead. The resulting impact to local farming; wildlife and the community far outweighs the need for this project. We the undersigned of this petition formally request that this project not be allowed to be approved in any form of development. * The text of this petition has been altered since it was created to reflect new information about the application. |
Senedd Research can’t advise on individual cases, but we can provide some general information.
Parc Solar Caenewydd is a proposed development of ground mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) arrays and associated infrastructure in Swansea.
The proposed development has been accepted as a Development of National Significance (DNS) and therefore the planning application will be decided by the Welsh Ministers.
DNS applications must follow a statutory process, which includes a formal pre-application consultation stage, after which the applicant must produce a pre-application consultation report which must be submitted with the planning application.
There’s a further formal consultation and publicity stage following submission of the application to Planning and Environment Decisions Wales (PEDW).
PEDW then appoints an independent Planning Inspector to assess the proposal. The Inspector provides a report with advice and recommendations for consideration by the Welsh Ministers. The Welsh Ministers make the final decision on DNS applications.
There is no right of appeal against the decision of the Welsh Ministers to grant or refuse planning permission for a DNS. A decision may only be challenged through judicial review on the grounds of either illegality, irrationality or procedural impropriety. Such a challenge must be logged within six weeks of the decision.
More information on the DNS process can be found in Senedd Research’s DNS quick guide and the Welsh Government’s DNS guidance.
The Minister wrote to you in relation to this petition on 21 November 2023. The letter outlines the DNS process, as above, and states:
Due to my role as a Minister responsible for determining DNS applications it would not be appropriate for me to comment [on] the case, so not to prejudice the final decision on the application.
There’s no record of the Senedd discussing Parc Solar Caenewydd, other than the Petitions Committee doing so in relation to this petition.
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Every effort is made to ensure that the information contained in this briefing is correct at the time of publication. Readers should be aware that these briefings are not necessarily updated or otherwise amended to reflect subsequent changes. |