Councillors in the UK have approved plans for a 50 MW solar energy scheme.
Pegasus Group last year submitted plans on behalf of Branston Solar Extension for a 49.9 MW solar photovoltaics (PV) scheme in Lincolnshire, eastern England.
The scheme has received approvals from North Kesteven District Council, making it the latest in a number of large-scale solar developments proposed by developers since the UK withdrew subsidy support for solar schemes.
According to Pegasus, the solar scheme will be built on 97 ha of land adjacent to an existing 15 MW solar scheme. Consent was granted for 35 years, after which the site will be decommissioned and returned to agricultural land.
“To receive planning approval with no objections reflects not only the viability of the scheme and suitability of the site, but also the depth of work carried out in respect of community consultation,” said Emma Ridley, planner with Pegasus Group. “Pre-application discussions and an EIA screening were undertaken with the council prior to the formal submission of the application, which went on to include a detailed landscape and ecological masterplan accounting for the potential presence of ground nesting birds in the area.”
In January, INRG put forward proposals for a 120 MW solar farm in Scunthorpe, northern England
In November 2017, Hive Energy and Wirsol said they planned to develop a solar farm in Kent, southeast England, with a capacity of up to 350 MW.
The Renewables Obligation, formerly the main mechanism for supporting large-scale renewable energy schemes in the UK, closed to large-scale solar projects in 2015.
Solar energy schemes are not currently eligible to participate in auctions for contracts for difference (CFD), the price support mechanism now used in the UK to support low carbon generation.
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