24th April 2015

Planning permission for one of UK’s largest solar farms

Alder King Planning Consultants, which already has a strong track record in solar farm consents, has secured two significant new planning permissions for ground-mounted solar farms in Kent and Lancashire.

It recently secured permission for a 48MW scheme capable of powering over 15,000 homes, on one of the UK’s largest solar farm in Herne, Kent.  At 215 acres, the size of the site and its location within a Special Landscape Area created a number of supply chain and construction challenges for the developer, British Solar Renewables.  Works included a directionally-drilled cable connection for approximately 100m under the Old Thanet Way (A299) road. The development was connected to the grid last month.   

A second permission on behalf of a new solar park client was secured for a 5MW scheme in Fylde, Lancashire. This was the first solar park permission granted by Fylde Borough Council.

Alder King senior planner Mark Cullen, who managed both applications, said, “The size, context and time pressures associated with the Kent scheme presented challenges for us, our client and the planning authority. By responding quickly to queries concerning the impact of this large park in a Special Landscape Area and potential flooding issues, we were able to facilitate a pragmatic and positive response from the Planning Committee.

“The Fylde case, our first consent in the north of England, was quite different being a smaller site surrounded by industrial development and not subject to the same subsidy time pressures. We did however have to justify the scheme sequentially and distinguish it from a solar park application the Planning Committee had recently considered and refused.

“We are delighted to have achieved a successful outcome for both clients.”

Alder King Planning Consultants has now secured permissions for 22 solar farms across England and Wales generating around 180MW.