Project Overview: Roof-Mounted Solar PV Panels at Barton Moss Secure Care Centre
A Targeted Assessment for a Sensitive Solar Development.
Metrica Environmental Consulting was commissioned by to undertake a glint and glare assessment for roof‑mounted solar PV project at Barton Moss Secure Centre in Eccles, Manchester. The scheme consists of multiple fixed‑tilt rooftop PV installations across a site located in a complex setting, surrounded by residential areas, major transport corridors and aviation operations.
Our role was to provide a concise yet robust assessment that addressed all potential receptors, ensuring the development aligns with both planning expectations and technical best practice for glint and glare.
How Guidance and Consultation Shaped the Assessment Approach
Due to surrounding environment, the project required a careful, stakeholder‑guided approach. The assessment followed established industry standards, including UK planning and aviation safeguarding guidance, and the industry standard SGHAT modelling methodology.
Consultation with aviation stakeholders was integral to the assessment and direct engagement with Barton Aerodrome and Manchester Heliport confirmed key modelling parameters, including glide slopes and relevant approach paths, ensuring the assessment accurately reflected operational realities at both facilities.
Key consultation‑led actions included:
- Confirming the ATCT height and the appropriate glide slopes for both fixed-wing and helicopter approaches;
- Screening all approach paths up to 3.7 km (two nautical miles) to capture any possible aviation interactions;
- Ensuring all rooftop PV areas were modelled with the according tilts, azimuths elevations, and panel types / coatings; and
- Incorporating physical screening from terrain, buildings and vegetation to reflect real‑world line‑of‑sight conditions.
This ensured the assessment combined best‑practice modelling with site‑specific requirements, providing stakeholders with clear, defensible outputs.
Findings: Glint and Glare Effects Across All Receptors
The modelling results clearly demonstrated that the proposed rooftop PV installation at Barton Moss Secure Centre met all relevant criteria for glint and glare.
Residential Receptors
Two dwellings were identified as requiring specific assessment. Modelling confirmed that neither property would experience any glint or glare, as effects were not geometrically possible at these locations.
Road Infrastructure (A57, M62)
Both roads were predicted to experience only low‑intensity ‘green glare’, the least severe category and acceptable under applicable guidance. No ‘yellow’ or ‘red’ glare was identified.
Aviation Receptors
All runway approaches at Barton Aerodrome, as well as the key helicopter routings for Manchester Heliport, were assessed using agreed glide paths.
- Most runway approaches showed either no glare or only green glare, which is has a low potential for after‑image and is therefore acceptable; and
- Importantly, the Air Traffic Control Tower recorded no predicted glare, with most arrays screened from view and remaining panels orientated such that no glare was geometrically possible.
Overall Compliance
Across every relevant receptor group (residential, roadway and aviation), the development met the respective guidance thresholds. No unacceptable glare effects were identified, and the scheme is therefore considered fully compliant in glint and glare terms.
Why This Matters for Urban Rooftop Solar Deployment
Urban solar projects often face heightened scrutiny due to the concentration of sensitive receptors in close proximity. This assessment demonstrates how carefully applied modelling, supported by constructive engagement with stakeholders, can provide certainty for developers and regulators, even in complex settings.
Metrica’s assessment offers:
- A clear understanding of reflective behaviour from roof‑mounted PV systems;
- Reassurance for aviation operators, highways authorities and local planners;
- Evidence‑based support for planning submission and environmental documentation; and
- Clear conclusions that minimise planning risk and avoid unnecessary mitigation.
Metrica’s Expertise in Delivering Robust Glint and Glare Assessments
Our work at Barton Moss reflects Metrica’s core strengths:
Technical specialism in glint and glare for solar PV across roofs, carports and ground mounted arrays; Clear, defensible outputs grounded in recognised modelling methodologies; Practical collaboration with aviation and transport stakeholders; and Concise, planning ready reporting suited to local applications and major infrastructure projects alike.
