Renewable planning › Solar › Colchester
Solar planning in Colchester
Colchester has decided 19 solar farms and approved 95% of them, taking a median of 3 months to decide. Consented capacity: 176 MW. 5 applications still awaiting a decision.
How Colchester compares
Against the 298 UK authorities with 5+ solar decisions, Colchester sits in the 43rd percentile for approval rate (2 points above the England average) and the 32nd 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 Withdrawn and still-undecided applications are excluded, so a short bar can mean a quiet year rather than a strict council.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 (25)
| Scheme | MW | Status | Decided |
|---|---|---|---|
Tesco Stores, Highwoods Square - Solar Panels Batchelor Electrical Limited · 260258 | 0.2 | Application Submitted | 2026-02-18 |
Fordham Road, Wormingford - Solar Panels Fairfields Farm Produce Limited · 251541 · 1.5 mo to decide | — | Awaiting Construction | 2025-09-03 |
Gosbecks Road - Solar Photovoltaic Panels SNRG · 250914 · 1.6 mo to decide | 0.2 | Awaiting Construction | 2025-06-13 |
Greenacres, Packards Lane - Solar Panels CSH Environmental Limited · 242396 · 1.8 mo to decide | 0.63 | Awaiting Construction | 2025-01-15 |
Lodge Farm, Boxted Road - Solar Panels P.G Rix Farms Limited · 240907 · 1.8 mo to decide | 1.02 | Awaiting Construction | 2024-06-20 |
Military Corrective Training Centre, Berechurch Hall Camp - Solar Panels Defence Infrastructure Organisation · 241035 | 0.51 | Application Submitted | 2024-05-16 |
Boxted - Solar Panels RES Limited · DC/23/05127 | 20 | Application Submitted | 2023-11-02 |
The Big Yellow Self Storage Co, Bruff Close - Solar panels Big Yellow Group Plc · 232034 · 1.1 mo to decide | 0.18 | Awaiting Construction | 2023-10-02 |
David Lloyd Leisure, United Way - Solar Panels David Lloyd Leisure Limited · 231714 · 1.8 mo to decide | 0.27 | Awaiting Construction | 2023-09-06 |
Wilkin And Sons, Factory Hill - Solar Farm Wilkin & Sons Limited · 223177 · 5.2 mo to decide | 6.15 | Operational | 2023-06-06 |
Plummers Road, Fordham - Solar Array Arbora Homes · 230379 | 0.31 | Application Withdrawn | 2023-04-26 |
Birch Solar Farm & Battery Storage Low Carbon Solar Park 22 Limited · 222151 · 6.9 mo to decide | 40 | Operational | 2023-03-20 |
Hollywood Bowl, United Way - Solar Array Hollywood Bowl Group · 222099 | 0.27 | Application Submitted | 2022-08-08 |
Layer Farm - Solar Farm Layer Solar Farm Limited · 202695 · 13.3 mo to decide | 49 | Operational | 2022-01-13 |
University Of Essex - Solar Panels University of Essex · 211994 | — | Application Submitted | 2021-07-05 |
Church Road Tesco Push Energy · 192576 · 1.3 mo to decide | 0.2 | Awaiting Construction | 2019-11-15 |
Land Adjacent Claypits Farm (b) (Birch Estate) Lightsource SPV 186 (community owned) · 150614 · 3.1 mo to decide | 2.3 | Operational | 2015-06-30 |
Land Adjacent Claypits Farm (a) Lightsource Renewable Energy · 150614 · 3.1 mo to decide | 5 | Operational | 2015-06-30 |
Holmwood Solar Farm Holmwood Solar · 142446 · 10.6 mo to decide | 19 | Appeal Refused | 2015-02-06 |
Birch Airfield Push Energy/ NextEnergy Solar Fund (NESF) · 145133 · 2.8 mo to decide | 5.6 | Operational | 2014-09-16 |
Boxted Airfield NextEnergy Solar Fund · 145101 · 3 mo to decide | 18.8 | Operational | 2014-09-15 |
Langenhoe Solar Farm NextEnergy Solar Fund · 132330 · 9.2 mo to decide | 21.3 | Operational | 2014-08-29 |
Bluegates Solar Park Edgar Middleton · 14/00352/FUL · 3 mo to decide | 10.5 | Operational | 2014-07-04 |
Highfields Farm (Colchester) Hive Energy · 121949 (12/1949/FUL) · 9.1 mo to decide | 12.2 | Operational | 2013-09-25 |
Highfields Farm (Braintree) Hive Energy · 12/01472/FUL · 8.4 mo to decide | 2.8 | Operational | 2013-09-03 |
Does Colchester approve solar farms?
Yes — of the 19 solar farms Colchester has decided, 95% were approved (18 granted, 1 refused). The UK-wide rate for solar is 93%.
How long does a solar farm application take in Colchester?
The median time from application to decision is 3 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 Colchester consented?
176 MW has been consented across 18 approved schemes, with 19 MW refused. A further 5 applications awaits a decision.
Other technologies in Colchester
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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