solar panels in a field
PS Renewables has successfully appealed the denial of planning permission for the project. Image: American Public Power Association via Unsplash.

Renewable energy developer PS Renewables has been granted permission for a 34MW solar PV power plant in Lincolnshire, following an appeal to the planning inspectorate.

Plans for the Church Lane Solar Farm, to be located on 42 hecatares of land south of the town of Welby, were initially refused by South Kesteven District Council in July 2024, primarily due to the proposed development resulting in the temprorary loss of 27.5 acres of Best and Most Versatile Agricultural Land (BMVAL), with the local planning authority stating that it believed “the public benefits of the proposal, including the provision of renewable energy, would not outweigh the identified harm”.

PS Renewables then submitted an appeal to the Planning Inspectorate, noting that the amount of BMVAL that the site would occupy is “negligible in the local, regional and national context”, and thus would not present a threat to food security, as referenced in many of the public objections to the project.

In the Planning Inspectorate’s response to the appeal, the body notes that the proposed height and angle of the solar panels to be installed would allow for grass growth and sheep grazing to take place on the site during its 40-year operational lifespan, meaning that the actual loss of agricultural land is in fact minimal. The response also notes that the proposed development will benefit the local area in both economic and biodiversity terms, with the site expected to deliver a biodiversity net gain of 58.94% for habitat units and 21.66% for hedgerow units.

Planning permission has now been granted subject to several conditions: construction must commence within three years, written confirmation of the first export of electricity from the site must be provided within 20 days of this occurring, the full biodiversity improvements for the site must be carried out by the end of the first planting season following first power export, and plans to improve the local public highway must be submitted to the local planning office before construction begins.

PS Renewables senior planning manager, James Walker, said: “We are very pleased that the Church Lane Solar Farm has been granted planning permission. It is welcomed that the Inspector put the temporary use of higher-grade land into proper context in making their decision, both in terms of impact on the wider agricultural resource and in weighing this impact against the significant public benefits. The decision continues an encouraging trend in appeal decisions where agricultural land is a main issue, which will hopefully continue to filter through to Local Planning Authorities and Planning Committees.”

Lincolnshire to become a solar PV hotspot

Last week (24 January) the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) granted development consent orders (DCOs) for two solar-based nationally significant infrastructure projects (NSIPs), both of which will be developed in Lincolnshire.

The 480MW West Burton Solar PV power plant, developed by Island Green Power, is slated for land straddling the county border between Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire, spread across three sites totalling 788 hectares.

Ecotricity’s Heckington Fen development, a 500MW solar PV power plant with a co-located 200-400MW battery energy storage system (BESS), will cover over 500 hectares. The DCO decision was delayed at the end of last year, with the developer citing a need to negotiate further with the landowners for the site.

Lincolnshire is an ideal location for solar development due to the flatness of the area and the amount of sunshine it gets. However, local support for solar is somewhat lacking, and the number of projects set to be developed in the area have caused controversy. Colin Davie, a Conservative county councillor, said the approvals were a “slap in the face”. He has previously argued that Lincolnshire is being used as a “dumping ground” for green energy projects.

Seven other solar NSIP projects are currently in the pipeline for Lincolnshire. These projects could cover an area of over 30,000 acres, on top of that already allotted to solar development. Earlier this year, the planning inspectorate accepted a DCO application for EDF Renewables’ 800MW Springwell Solar Farm. If approved, the solar plant would cover 1,280 hectares.