Renewable planning › Solar › Bolton
Solar planning in Bolton
Bolton has decided 15 solar farms and approved 93% of them, taking a median of 1.9 months to decide. Consented capacity: 13 MW. 2 applications still awaiting a decision.
How Bolton compares
Against the 298 UK authorities with 5+ solar decisions, Bolton sits in the 35th percentile for approval rate (level with the England average) and the 62nd percentile for speed.
Decisions by year
Solar decisions by the year the decision was issued (Renewable Energy Planning Database). Withdrawn and still-undecided applications are excluded, so a short bar can mean a quiet year rather than a strict council.
Every recorded scheme (18)
| Scheme | MW | Status | Decided |
|---|---|---|---|
Churchill Unit Oncology Royal Bolton Hospital - Solar Panels Dalkia Energy Services Limited · 21553/25 · 1.8 mo to decide | 0.17 | Awaiting Construction | 2026-02-09 |
Albion Mill, Cawdor Street - Solar Panels Amr Textiles Limited · 20127/25 · 1.8 mo to decide | 0.49 | Awaiting Construction | 2025-06-09 |
Seddon Construction, Plodder Lane - Solar Panels Seddon Construction Limited · 19570/25 · 4.2 mo to decide | 0.22 | Awaiting Construction | 2025-05-16 |
Vernacare, Folds Road - Solar PV array Realty Income · 19342/24 · 1.8 mo to decide | 0.71 | Awaiting Construction | 2025-01-16 |
Moss Rose Mill - Solar Panels Tame Valley Padding Company Limited · 19185/24 · 1.3 mo to decide | 0.29 | Awaiting Construction | 2024-12-03 |
Leadbeaters Lane - Solar Panels Harworth Estates Limited · 18736/24 · 3.5 mo to decide | 0.21 | Awaiting Construction | 2024-11-22 |
Northern Building Plastics, Leadbeaters Lane - Solar Panels Harworth Group Limited · 18717/24 | 0.18 | Application Submitted | 2024-08-02 |
Crompton Health Centre, Crompton Way - Solar Panels Crompton Health Centre · 17497/24 · 1.1 mo to decide | 0.2 | Awaiting Construction | 2024-02-26 |
Edbro, Lever Street - Solar Panels Edbro Plc · 15778/23 · 1.9 mo to decide | 1.7 | Awaiting Construction | 2023-06-02 |
Europa Way, Units F1 & F2 - Solar panels Amr Textiles Limited · 13568/22 · 13.6 mo to decide | 0.86 | Application Refused | 2023-03-30 |
Amazon UK Plot E1, Bridgewater Avenue - Solar photovoltaic panels Zestec Renewable Energy · 13471/22 · 2.4 mo to decide | — | Awaiting Construction | 2022-06-09 |
Westhoughton - Roof mounted Solar panels Private Developer · 13147/22 | 0.29 | Application Withdrawn | 2022-05-12 |
Westhoughton Community Leisure Centre - Solar Photovoltaic System Bolton Council · 11749/21 · 2.1 mo to decide | 0.18 | Awaiting Construction | 2021-09-17 |
Tesco, Mansell Way Tesco Stores Limited · 09329/20 · 1.8 mo to decide | 0.45 | Awaiting Construction | 2020-11-19 |
Bent Spur Solar Farm Active Renewables · 94654/15 · 2.9 mo to decide | 5 | Operational | 2015-11-20 |
Salford Road Solar Farm Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority · 94267/15 · 1.1 mo to decide | 2.2 | Operational | 2015-06-29 |
Salford Road Solar Farm Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority · 92938/14 · 2.3 mo to decide | 2.2 | Revised | 2014-12-22 |
Salford Road Aldi | 1.6 | Operational | — |
Does Bolton approve solar farms?
Yes — of the 15 solar farms Bolton has decided, 93% were approved (14 granted, 1 refused). The UK-wide rate for solar is 93%.
How long does a solar farm application take in Bolton?
The median time from application to decision is 1.9 months, against a UK median of 2.3 months for solar. That is measured between the submission and decision dates recorded in REPD, so it reflects the whole determination period including any extensions.
How much solar capacity has Bolton consented?
13 MW has been consented across 14 approved schemes, with 1 MW refused. A further 2 applications awaits a decision.
Other technologies in Bolton
Source: Renewable Energy Planning Database (REPD), Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Open Government Licence v3.0 — 2026 Q1 extract. Approval rate is over decided applications only (approved ÷ approved+refused); withdrawn and undecided schemes are excluded. A permission later expired still counts as approved because consent was granted. REPD covers schemes of roughly 150 kW and above, is published quarterly, and does not record refusal reasons — so nothing here explains why a scheme was refused. Screening context for site selection, not planning advice.
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