FAQs

Lime Down Solar Park is being developed by Island Green Power (IGP), an established developer of renewable energy projects and battery storage systems in the UK and internationally.

For more information about the developer and its experience, please visit our About Us page or the Island Green Power website.

Lime Down Solar Park is a proposed solar energy and battery storage project in Wiltshire, being developed by Island Green Power.

The project would generate up to 500 megawatts (MW) of renewable electricity through ground-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) panels. It would also include a battery energy storage system (BESS) and associated electrical infrastructure, including an underground cable connection to the national grid.

For more information about the proposals and how the different components would work, please visit our Project overview and design page.

The Project would also include a battery energy storage system, which would provide an important balancing service for the grid, allowing electricity generated by the panels to be stored at times of low demand, then exported onto the system when demand increases.

‍The solar park is located largely within the administrative boundary of Wiltshire Council, with small areas of existing highway within the administrative areas of South Gloucestershire Council.

The solar park would comprise five Solar PV Sites, known as Lime Down A, B, C, D and E, alongside an underground cable connection to Melksham Substation.

For further information about the location of the project and how the sites were selected, please visit our Project overview and design page.

The latest submitted plans are also available through the Planning Inspectorate's Lime Down Solar Park documents page.

We have secured a connection agreement with National Grid for electricity generated by Lime Down Solar Park to be exported to the national electricity transmission system through its existing Melksham Substation.

The proposed connection would use underground electricity cables. We are not proposing to build the connection using pylons and overhead lines.

Further information about the proposed cable route and associated infrastructure is available on our Project overview and design page.

The DCO application was submitted in September 2025, accepted for Examination in October 2025 and examined between April and October 2026.

The application has now progressed to the recommendation and decision stages, with a decision expected in spring 2027 at the earliest.

If development consent is granted, construction is expected to take around two years.

For more information about the programme and next stages, please visit our Process and next steps page.

Following the close of Examination on 21 October 2026, the Examining Authority will prepare its recommendation report for the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, who will decide whether development consent should be granted.

The Examining Authority normally has up to three months to submit its recommendation, followed by a further three months for the Secretary of State to make a decision. These periods may be extended.

A decision is expected in spring 2027 at the earliest.

For more information about the process, please visit our Process and next steps page. You can also register for email updates from the Planning Inspectorate.

The way we consume energy is changing. The move towards renewables and the transition away from fossil fuels is an environmental and economic necessity. National electricity demand is increasing and expected to double by 2050. Increasing our solar energy capacity is therefore essential if the UK is to hit its target of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050 while also meeting demand.  

Solar power is a clean, homegrown source of energy that gets power into the system and people’s homes faster than any other renewable technology. The Government’s Clean Power 2030 Action Plan, published in 2024, sets out the target to more than treble solar power by 2030, equivalent to around 50 gigawatts (GW) of generation capacity.

Expected to deliver clean and affordable energy, the project would contribute to the Government target to deliver a cheaper, zero-carbon electricity system by 2030 and accelerate to net zero. 

A Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) is a project over a certain size or scale which means it is considered by the Government to be of national importance.

Lime Down Solar Park is classified as an NSIP because its proposed generating capacity of up to 500 megawatts (MW) exceeds the threshold for solar projects set out in the Planning Act 2008. This threshold increased from 50MW to 100MW for new applications in December 2025. As our application was submitted before this change, the previous 50MW threshold applies.

For solar projects in England below the relevant threshold, developers would generally apply for planning permission from the local planning authority under the Town and Country Planning Act.

The development consenting process for NSIPs comes under the Planning Act 2008. This meant we submitted an application for a Development Consent Order (DCO) to build, operate and decommission Lime Down Solar Park to the Planning Inspectorate, rather than a local planning authority.

The Planning Inspectorate appointed an Examining Authority to examine our application between April and October 2026. Following the close of Examination, the Examining Authority will prepare a recommendation report for the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, who will make the final decision on whether development consent should be granted.

Although our DCO application was not submitted to the local planning authorities, Wiltshire Council, South Gloucestershire Council and other stakeholders have continued to play an important role throughout consultation and Examination.

For more information, please visit our Process and next steps page or the Planning Inspectorate's guide to the NSIP process.

Yes. We undertook three stages of pre-application consultation during 2024 and 2025, providing opportunities for local communities and stakeholders to review the proposals, attend events, ask questions and provide feedback.

The feedback received and local knowledge shared were considered alongside environmental and technical assessments as the proposals developed.

Following submission of the DCO application, individuals and interested parties also had opportunities to participate in Examination, including through written representations and hearings.

For more information about the consultation undertaken and how feedback was considered, please visit our Consultation and engagement page.

Island Green Power believes that communities living closest to its renewable energy projects should benefit from them, and that local people are best placed to identify which initiatives would be most valuable.

The proposals include environmental and recreational enhancements, such as new planting, habitat creation, biodiversity improvements and measures relating to local access.

In addition, Island Green Power has committed to providing a Community Benefit Fund should development consent be granted. The details would be developed through further engagement with local authorities and community organisations, taking account of feedback received during consultation.

For more information about the proposed benefits, please visit our Environment, mitigation and benefits page.

A well-managed solar farm can provide opportunities to protect and enhance wildlife habitats, with much of the land beneath and around solar panels remaining available to support plants and wildlife.

The proposals for Lime Down Solar Park include a commitment to achieving at least 10 per cent biodiversity net gain (BNG), meaning local wildlife habitats would be left in a measurably better state than before development.

Proposed measures include new hedgerow and tree planting, grassland habitat creation and enhancements to existing ecological features.

For more information about the biodiversity proposals and environmental assessments, please visit our Environment, mitigation and benefits page.

To meet the UK's net zero targets, we need battery storage to store surplus electricity generated by renewable energy sources for when it is needed. The Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) proposed for Lime Down Solar Park would provide up to 250 MW of battery storage capacity.

We have listened to feedback from local residents and community stakeholders, particularly concerns relating to battery safety, and have considered these as the project design has developed. We are committed to delivering a safe and responsible solution that meets relevant safety standards and follows the latest guidance from the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC).

The proposed BESS would incorporate several safety features to reduce the risk of issues such as overheating or short-circuiting. These include thermal management systems, built-in sensors and monitoring software to detect and address potential problems early. Safety assessments have also been undertaken, alongside engagement with Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service.

We submitted an Outline Battery Safety Management Plan to the Planning Inspectorate as part of our application for development consent, which was subsequently updated during Examination. This sets out the proposed approach to managing battery safety, including fire prevention, monitoring and emergency response arrangements.

If development consent is granted, a detailed Battery Safety Management Plan would be prepared and approved before construction of the BESS, in consultation with the relevant authorities.

For further information, please read our Outline Battery Safety Management Plan, submitted during Examination.

Flood risk and drainage have been important considerations in developing the proposals for Lime Down Solar Park.

As part of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), we assessed the potential effects of the project on flood risk and surface water drainage, including the effects of climate change.

The proposals incorporate measures designed to manage surface water runoff and avoid increasing flood risk elsewhere. As a result, no increase in flood risk is expected on or off site, including adjacent communities and downstream settlements.

For more information about the environmental assessments and proposed mitigation, please visit our Environment, mitigation and benefits page.

The biggest risk to the UK’s domestic food production comes from climate change, and other environmental pressures including soil degradation, water quality and changes in biodiversity.

Our proposals would deliver approximately 500 MW of clean, renewable solar energy and secure a biodiversity net gain. By temporarily taking some farmable land out of production, the project would also result in improved soil and water quality, given the land will have had time to rest without regular ploughing, fertilising, and spraying with pesticides and herbicides during its 60-year lifetime.

At the end of the project's operational life, the solar infrastructure would be removed and the land restored to its previous agricultural use and condition as far as practicable.

For more information about the environmental assessments, please visit our Environment, mitigation and benefits page. Further information about restoration is available on our Construction, operation and decommissioning page.

Lime Down Solar Park Limited, a company within the Island Green Power (IGP) group of companies, has submitted an application for development consent to allow it to construct, operate, maintain and decommission a solar energy and energy storage development known as Lime Down Solar Park (the project).

IGP has a 13-year track record in successfully delivering utility-scale solar projects and battery storage systems in the UK, Spain, Italy, Australia and New Zealand. As is common practice in the solar industry, Lime Down Solar Park Limited was established by IGP as a special purpose vehicle (SPV) to develop the project.

At the initial stage of developing proposals for the project, Lime Down Solar Park Limited entered into option agreements with landowners. These agreements put in place legally binding obligations to lease land that is being proposed for solar panels, substations, energy storage and other associated development relating to the project.

The option agreements ensure that the land would be available to lease subject to the project being granted development consent. These agreements are industry standard and provide landowners with certainty and protection over the use of their land while securing development rights for Lime Down Solar Park. The option agreements give Lime Down Solar Park exclusive rights during both the option period and the lease term.

The agreements set out the duration of the option period during which Lime Down Solar Park has sole discretion to decide whether to proceed with taking the lease, including conditions under which the option can be exercised and the right to carry out surveys. As with any option agreement, landowners during the option period are restricted from entering into similar agreements or granting interests with other parties without Lime Down Solar Park’s consent and are legally obliged to comply with the terms set out in their agreements.

As a responsible developer, throughout the project development process, our goal has been to work collaboratively with landowners, their land agents and other representatives. Our aim is to ensure that all parties fully understand the legal process, including the benefits and obligations arising from the legal terms and arrangements.