West Burton Solar Project Ltd plans to develop a solar farm and associated battery storage with a generation capacity of up to 480MW, sufficient to power 144,000 homes.
This project is cross border with the main element of the solar farm being within West Lindsey District Council and the cabling element and connection to the national electricity grid being via a substation at the West Burton Power Station site.
Scoping report
The scoping report for West Burton Solar Project was accepted by the Planning Inspectorate on 2 March 2022.
Non-Statutory Consultation
West Burton Solar Project Ltd held a non-statutory consultation from 3 November 2021 to 15 December 2021. It gave more information about the proposed development for community input.
Statutory Consultation
On 12 May 2022, the Council responded to West Burton Solar Project Ltd’s Draft Statement of Community Consultation providing feedback about ways to enhance engagement with local communities.
The statutory consultation was held between 15 June 2022 - 27 July 2022. It set out the proposal and included the Preliminary Environmental Information Report (PEIR).
Examination
- On 18 April 2023, the Secretary of State (c/o the Planning Inspectorate) accepted the application for the West Burton Solar Project for a Development Consent Order (DCO) under the Planning Act 2008.
- The examination took place between 8 November 2023 and 8 May 2024.
- The Council, Nottinghamshire County Council and West Burton Solar Project Ltd signed a Statement of Common Ground on 2 April 2024. It identified the areas of agreement and also any areas of disagreement. It also highlights the range of meetings the Council held with the applicant and other stakeholders throughout the application process.
- Statement of common ground
Decision
The Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero consented the application on 25 January 2025. The Examining Authorities’ reports and the Secretary of State’s decisions are available to view on the National Infrastructure Project webpage.
Last Updated on Friday, January 9, 2026