Luton Hoo Estate – Solar Farm

Development planning

AZ Urban Studio has secured planning permission for a 250kW ground-mounted solar array at Luton Hoo Estate in Bedfordshire.

The site, located within the Green Belt, a Conservation Area, and a Grade II* Registered Park and Garden, was selected following a sites option appraisal at the Estate that sought to ensure minimal impact upon the landscape and historic environment.

Working closely with Central Bedfordshire Council and English Heritage officers throughout the pre-application and application stage, we were able to formulate an appropriately designed and mitigated proposal and demonstrate that its benefits sufficiently outweighed any minor impact upon the openness of the Green Belt or harm to the significance of the various heritage assets engaged.

The solar array – to supply energy for the Estate – is the latest in a number of diversification projects we have secured planning permission for at Luton Hoo.

Our work at Luton Hoo Estate exemplifies the success of our planning team in working closely with local planning authorities and English Heritage to deliver positive and sustainable change in historic rural environments.