DWD is delighted to announce that the Secretary of State for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) has granted development consent for the Mallard Pass Solar Farm in Lincolnshire and Rutland, a landmark decision made on Friday, 12th July. This approval is a significant milestone for renewable energy in the UK, and for the developer Windel Energy and Recurrent Energy, paving the way for the construction of one of the country’s largest solar farms with a capacity of 350MW.
As the lead planning consultant, DWD played a pivotal role in navigating the complex planning process, ensuring that all regulatory and environmental requirements were addressed. This achievement was made possible through the collaborative efforts of an exceptional team of consultants, each bringing their specialized expertise to the project, including LDA Design, Counter Context, Ardent, Humbeat and Pinsent Masons. Along with a strong collaborative engagement with al host authorities, thank you to Rutland, Lincolnshire and South Kesteven planning officers for continued engagement throughout the process.
Following the initial excitement, we wanted to share some of the highlights from the Mallard Pass DCO decision, which include the following –
The ExA fully endorsed our flexible approach to site sizing and selection, recognizing the importance of grid connection as a key factor. They supported the exclusion of mitigation and enhancement areas in calculating the generating capacity by hectare and confirmed there’s no need to consider smaller sites that wouldn’t deliver the required capacity.
Our soil surveys and mitigation measures received positive feedback, indicating minimal impact on food production. While the decision noted moderate negative weight on BMV land impacts, our evidence was deemed satisfactory.
The urgent need for utility-scale solar PV to meet net zero goals was acknowledged, with substantial positive weight given to the project’s carbon benefits. The 60-year time limit was approved, along with added safeguards to ensure environmental protection.
The ExA recognized our landscape-led design and mitigation efforts, despite some disagreements on LVIA and PRoWs assessments. Other notable points include the decision against requiring a financial bond and the enhanced requirements for land access and temporary possession notices.
Peter Roberts from DWD’s Surveying Team also provided land assembly and compensation advice to the Applicant.
This decision underscores our team effort – a big thank you to everyone involved in making this project a success!
