A vast solar farm in Lincolnshire has been given the green light by the Department for Energy Security, despite warnings from countryside campaigners that large-scale schemes are “industrialising the countryside.”
The Tillbridge Solar Project, proposed by Tillbridge Solar Ltd, will generate more than 50MW of electricity through ground-mounted solar panels, supported by energy storage and grid connection infrastructure.
Development consent was confirmed on 14 October following a six-month examination by the Planning Inspectorate, during which local communities, councils and interested parties gave evidence.
The scheme is the 98th energy project to be approved under the Planning Act 2008, with officials emphasising that the decision was made within statutory timeframes.
The recommendation to approve the scheme was issued to ministers in July, with final consent granted by Energy Minister Martin McCluskey on behalf of the Secretary of State.
The Planning Inspectorate said local people were able to contribute views during the process, with “full consideration” given to evidence before the final recommendation was made.
While supporters argue the solar farm will contribute to the UK’s renewable energy goals, critics have raised concerns about the loss of farmland.
CPRE, the countryside charity, said the project highlighted a growing reliance on large-scale solar projects on productive agricultural land.
Roger Mortlock, chief executive of CPRE, said: “The approval of a mega solar farm covering an area of high-quality farmland the size of Heathrow Airport highlights a deeply concerning trend: industrialising the countryside with ground-mounted solar while too many rooftops remain unused.”
He added that CPRE research shows almost 60% of the UK’s largest solar farms are being developed on high-grade farmland, with alternatives such as rooftops and car parks overlooked.
“We don’t need mega solar farms in the countryside,” he said. “Delivering more renewable energy is non-negotiable, but delivering it should bring communities together, not drive them apart.”
All documents, including the Planning Inspectorate’s recommendation and the evidence considered during the examination, are now publicly available on the National Infrastructure Planning website.
Construction, operation, maintenance and eventual decommissioning of the scheme will be overseen under the approved development consent order.
