The Project
Development process
Lime Down Solar Park is anticipated as being able to deliver up to 500MW of electricity. As its generation capacity exceeds 50MW, it is classified as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP).
The development consenting regime for an NSIP comes under the Planning Act 2008. This means that we need to submit an application for a Development Consent Order (DCO) to build, operate and decommission Lime Down Solar Park to the Planning Inspectorate rather than the local planning authority.
In the case of energy related NSIPs, the Planning Inspectorate acts on behalf of the Secretary of State for Energy and Net Zero. The Planning Inspectorate will carry out an examination of our application and then make a final recommendation to the Secretary of State on whether to grant consent. The Secretary of State will make the final decision on whether to grant consent for Lime Down Solar Park.
We expect the development process, including DCO submission and examination, to span two to three years. We submitted our DCO application to the Planning Inspectorate on Friday 19 September 2025. PINS has reviewed the materials and accepted the application for examination, which is a statutory part of the process for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects.
The examination of the DCO application will commence in the new year and will be held for up to six months. More details will be publicised once they are confirmed.
You can find more information about the application process for NSIP projects on the Planning Inspectorate website here.
Between Thursday 30 October 2025 and Friday 09 January 2026, you can register as an Interested Party in the application. Interested Parties may participate in the Examination of the application and will receive formal notifications as the Examination progresses.
You have until 23:59 on Friday 09 January 2026 to register with PINS to become an Interested Party and submit a Relevant Representation. You can do on the Planning Inspectorate website at: https://national-infrastructure-consenting.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/projects/EN010168
