Developer Renewable Connections has received planning consent for a 23.5MW solar PV plant co-located with a 19MW battery energy storage system (BESS).
The Carr House Solar Farm and BESS will be located in East Heslerton, Yorkshire, having been approved by the North Yorkshire Council. Renewable Connections submitted an application in early 2024.
The site will cover an area of approximately 88.8 hectares and deliver a biodiversity net gain of 16% in habitat units, 55% in hedgerow units and 7% in watercourse units.
Michael Hughes, Renewable Connections CEO, said the North Yorkshire Council has renewable energy “at the heart” of its approach to tackling the climate emergency. North Yorkshire Council declared a climate emergency in 2022 and in 2023 launched a Climate Change Strategy which identifies the generation and storage of low carbon energy as a needed alternative to fossil fuels.
In February, a 90MW BESS in Somerset was consented for Renewable Connections, bringing its consented renewables pipeline in the UK over the 1GW mark.
As covered in a recent article by Solar Media Market Research analyst Josh Cornes, when UK solar was at its peak between 2010 and 2015, the average time for a project to get approval was around 29 weeks.
Although the average capacity of projects was significantly lower, the majority being in the 5-20MWp and a scattering in the 20-50MWp range, there were a huge amount more, with over 1,600 submissions in 3 years.
Cornes explains that developers now see 10 months for a decision as a success, with a target of a year for higher end local planning authority (LPA) capacity projects. The time taken to approve the Renewable Connections plant comes in around 15 months.
In less than a month, our publisher, Solar Media, will host the UK Solar Summit. Josh Cornes will present an analyst briefing, giving an overview of the UK’s solar market, examining current capacity, projects in development and the long-term potential for expansion.
The UK Solar Summit 2025 will take place in London on 1-2 July. To view the full agenda, see here. The event will provide insight into the latest market drivers, government policy developments, investment trends, and technological innovations shaping the future of UK solar.
