The Central & North Buckinghamshire Area Planning Committee is scheduled to consider two significant planning applications at its upcoming meeting. The committee will review proposals for a solar farm in Thornton and an expansion of an outdoor education centre at Green Park in Aston Clinton.

Solar Farm Proposed for Thornton

A substantial proposal for a solar farm on land to the south and north of Nash Road and east of Thornton Road in Thornton is scheduled for discussion. The application, submitted by Crosshouse Solar Limited, seeks permission for a ground-mounted solar photovoltaic farm with a generating capacity of up to 49.99MW AC. This development is proposed for a temporary period of 50 years and includes associated infrastructure such as mounting systems, inverters, underground cabling, fencing, CCTV, internal tracks, landscaping, biodiversity enhancements, and a permanent substation.

The site comprises approximately 88 hectares of agricultural land and is not subject to statutory landscape or ecological designations. However, it is located within the open countryside and near Thornton Hall, a Grade II listed building, and crosses several Public Rights of Way. Concerns have been raised by local residents and parish councils regarding the visual impact on the rural landscape, potential increases in flood risk, the loss of agricultural land, highway safety during construction, and the cumulative impact of multiple solar farms in the area. The report pack notes that while the development would cause localised harm to landscape character and visual amenity, and a low level of harm to the setting of Thornton Hall, these are considered to be outweighed by the significant public benefits of renewable energy generation, climate change mitigation, and energy security. The proposal is recommended for approval, subject to conditions.

Green Park Activities and Training Centre Expansion

The committee will also consider an application for the Green Park Activities and Training Centre located at Green Park, Stablebridge Road, Aston Clinton. The proposal from PGL Travel Limited seeks planning permission for the erection of accommodation, toilet and shower blocks, activity equipment, and changes of use to provide additional accommodation. The application is part retrospective, covering works already undertaken.

The report pack indicates that an amendment has been proposed to Condition 3, which originally sought to restrict the use of the development to persons aged between 7 and 17. Officers propose removing this age-specific limitation, instead restricting the use to outdoor educational purposes only and prohibiting use for general public leisure, tourism or independent residential purposes. This change is considered to meet planning condition tests and would not alter the overall recommendation for approval, which is to be deferred and delegated to the Service Director of Planning and Environment. This decision is subject to the satisfactory completion of a legal agreement to secure the long-term management and monitoring of the Landscape Ecological Management Plan. Previous concerns regarding trees and ecology have been addressed through amendments and updated information, with council specialist officers now raising no objection subject to conditions and the legal agreement.