Renewable planning › Solar › Braintree
Solar planning in Braintree
Braintree has decided 23 solar farms and approved 96% of them, taking a median of 3.6 months to decide. Consented capacity: 246 MW. 3 applications still awaiting a decision.
How Braintree compares
Against the 298 UK authorities with 5+ solar decisions, Braintree sits in the 47th percentile for approval rate (3 points above the England average) and the 21st 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 Withdrawn and still-undecided applications are excluded, so a short bar can mean a quiet year rather than a strict council.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 (27)
| Scheme | MW | Status | Decided |
|---|---|---|---|
Kentish Farm 2 - Solar Farm Push Energy · 25/01553/FUL | 16.5 | Application Submitted | 2025-07-10 |
Braintree Village, Charter Way - Solar Panels Landsec · 25/01166/P14JPA · 1.3 mo to decide | 0.36 | Awaiting Construction | 2025-06-30 |
Cressing Farm, Witham Road - Solar Farm Eden Renewables · 24/02673/FUL · 4.9 mo to decide | 13.8 | Awaiting Construction | 2025-06-06 |
Skye Green Solar Farm PS Renewables Limited · 24/02658/FUL · 3.5 mo to decide | 15 | Awaiting Construction | 2025-04-03 |
Braintree Village, Charter Way - Solar Panels Landsec · 25/00286/P14JPA · 1.5 mo to decide | 0.36 | Revised | 2025-04-01 |
Cressing East - Solar Farm EDF Energy Renewables · 23/02613/FUL · 16.4 mo to decide | 24.9 | Awaiting Construction | 2025-03-05 |
Hole Farm, Knowl Green - Solar Panels D F Middleditch & Son · 24/02317/P14JPA · 1.6 mo to decide | 0.2 | Awaiting Construction | 2024-12-18 |
Cutbush Farm, Belchamp St Paul - Solar Array British Solar Renewables · 23/01413/FUL · 18.3 mo to decide | 49.99 | Under Construction | 2024-12-09 |
Surmer Hall, Church Walk - Solar Farm & Battery Storage Boultbee Brooks (Renewables Rowley Hill) Limited · 23/02705/FUL · 13.1 mo to decide | 36 | Awaiting Construction | 2024-12-04 |
Cego Limited, Crittall Road - Solar Panels Private Developer · 24/00112/P14JPA · 1.3 mo to decide | 0.2 | Awaiting Construction | 2024-04-25 |
Hedingham School, Christmas Field - Solar Panels Solar Options for Schools Limited · 24/00298/P14JPA · 1.2 mo to decide | 0.16 | Awaiting Construction | 2024-03-21 |
Park Road - Solar Farm Novus Renewable Services Limited · 21/03735/FUL · 22.8 mo to decide | 22.5 | Awaiting Construction | 2023-12-15 |
Antislip Antiwear Treads International, Swinbourne Drive - Solar Panels AATI Limited · 23/01996/P14JPA · 2.6 mo to decide | 0.15 | Awaiting Construction | 2023-10-25 |
The Essex Golf/Leisure Club, The Airfield Earls - Solar Panels Engenera · 23/02057/P14JPA · 1.6 mo to decide | 0.23 | Awaiting Construction | 2023-10-11 |
Howbridge Junior School, Dengie Close - Solar Panels Solar Options For Schools Limited · 23/01581/P14JPA · 1.5 mo to decide | 0.16 | Awaiting Construction | 2023-08-01 |
Morrisons Witham - Solar Pv Panels WM Morrisons Supermarkets Plc · 21/03378/P14JPA · 15.5 mo to decide | 0.19 | Operational | 2023-03-02 |
Motus Trucks and Vans, Griggs Way - Solar PV Panels Motus Trucks · 22/03361/P14JPA · 2 mo to decide | 0.28 | Awaiting Construction | 2023-02-10 |
Four Elms, Bardfield Road - Solar Array F H Nash Limited · 22/03012/FUL · 2.1 mo to decide | 0.35 | Awaiting Construction | 2023-01-11 |
Periwinkle Hall - Links Solar photovoltaic farm & Battery storage Low Carbon Limited · 21/01878/FUL · 6.5 mo to decide | 35 | Operational | 2021-12-23 |
Pentlow Hill Nextpower SPV 11 Limited · 20/01107/FUL · 9.4 mo to decide | 24 | Operational | 2021-04-23 |
Four Elms Solar Array F H Nash Limited · 20/01631/FUL · 4 mo to decide | 0.17 | Operational | 2021-02-01 |
Colemans Farm Brice Aggregates · 19/00886/FUL | 0.3 | Application Submitted | 2019-05-30 |
Kentishes Solar Farm Push Energy/ NextEnergy Solar Fund (NESF) · 14/00922/FUL · 17.1 mo to decide | 5 | Operational | 2016-04-08 |
Cressing Solar Farm (Phase 2) Octopus Investments · 15/00949/FUL · 3.6 mo to decide | 18 | Abandoned | 2015-11-12 |
Cressing Solar Farm (Phase 1) Octopus Investments · 15/00949/FUL · 3.6 mo to decide | 5 | Operational | 2015-11-12 |
Gosfield Airfield Push Energy · 13/01463/FUL · 3.8 mo to decide | 12.6 | Operational | 2014-04-17 |
Big Deere Lodge Sovereign Energy Partners LLP · 13/00832/FUL · 8.3 mo to decide | 6 | Application Refused | 2014-04-17 |
Does Braintree approve solar farms?
Yes — of the 23 solar farms Braintree has decided, 96% were approved (22 granted, 1 refused). The UK-wide rate for solar is 93%.
How long does a solar farm application take in Braintree?
The median time from application to decision is 3.6 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 Braintree consented?
246 MW has been consented across 22 approved schemes, with 6 MW refused. A further 3 applications awaits a decision.
Other technologies in Braintree
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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