A harmonious future for a solar park and a stately home
Seeking a Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA) for a solar park development in Northamptonshire, SB Rice Consulting Ltd appointed Influence. The project includes the installation and operation of 900 solar panels at Lilford Lodge Farm near Oundle, Northamptonshire. This sensitive application site is located on open agricultural land only 1.3km (0.8 miles) from Lilford Hall, a Grade I Listed stately home. Other local landscape sensitivities include conservation areas, Scheduled Ancient Monuments, Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Local Nature Reserves (LNRs).
The assessment required a comprehensive visual survey of the surrounding area, so we worked closely with heritage consultants to address any potential effects on Lilford Hall and key visual features in the surrounding landscape. We made recommendations to reduce the solar park’s impact, with a mitigation package including new hedgerows along the site boundaries designed to screen low-level views into the site from the surrounding countryside.
The development has since been awarded full Planning Consent.
