Novarly ParcelRenewable planning

Renewable planning SolarDarlington

Solar planning in Darlington

Darlington has decided 17 solar farms and approved 100% of them, taking a median of 1.8 months to decide. Consented capacity: 147 MW.

100%
Approved
17 granted · 0 refused
1.8 mo
Median decision
UK 2.3 mo
147 MW
Consented
across approved schemes
0
Appeals
no appeals recorded

How Darlington compares

Against the 298 UK authorities with 5+ solar decisions, Darlington sits in the 77th percentile for approval rate (7 points above the England average) and the 74th percentile for speed.

Decisions by year

35Approved — 1 (2013)113Approved — 2 (2015)215Approved — 3 (2022)322Approved — 4 (2023)423Approved — 1 (2024)124Approved — 5 (2025)525Approved — 1 (2026)126
Approved Refused

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 Withdrawn and still-undecided applications are excluded, so a short bar can mean a quiet year rather than a strict council.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 (17)

SchemeMWStatusDecided
Darlington Memorial Hospital, Hollyhurst Road - Solar Panels
County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust · 25/01343/PA · 1.5 mo to decide
0.21Awaiting Construction2026-01-21
Wyvern Academy, Eggleston View - Solar Panels
Solar Options for Schools Limited · 25/01073/PA · 0.8 mo to decide
0.36Awaiting Construction2025-11-06
Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College, Vane Terrace -Solar Panels
Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College · 25/00376/FUL · 3 mo to decide
0.37Awaiting Construction2025-09-05
Heathfield Primary School, The Broadway - Solar Panels
Solar Options for Schools Limited · 25/00762/PA · 0.8 mo to decide
0.27Awaiting Construction2025-08-22
Middlesbrough Football Club, Rockliffe Park -Solar Panels
Middlesbrough Football Club · 25/00124/PA · 0.9 mo to decide
0.15Awaiting Construction2025-03-20
The Dolphin Centre - Solar Panels
Darlington Borough Council · 24/01111/PA · 1.6 mo to decide
0.16Awaiting Construction2025-01-07
The Rydal Academy, Rydal Road - Solar Panels
Solar Options for Schools Limited · 23/01084/FUL · 1.8 mo to decide
0.21Awaiting Construction2024-03-12
Hurworth School, Croft Road - Solar Panels
Solar Options for Schools Limited · 23/01101/PA · 1.3 mo to decide
0.32Awaiting Construction2023-12-19
Longfield Academy Of Sport - Solar Panels
Solar Options for Schools Limited · 23/00994/PA · 1.4 mo to decide
0.29Awaiting Construction2023-11-24
Long Pasture Farm, Little Stainton - Solar Farm
Electric Works · 22/01329/FUL · 7.8 mo to decide
49.9Awaiting Construction2023-08-10
Burtree Lane - Solar farm
Darlington Borough Council / Aura Power Solar · 22/00213/FUL · 9.7 mo to decide
49.9Under Construction2023-01-11
Whinfield Solar Farm
Alpha Real Capital LLP · DM/21/02816/FPA · 13.8 mo to decide
33Awaiting Construction2022-10-04
Morrisons - Solar PV system
WM Morrisons Supermarkets Plc · 22/00126/PA · 1.6 mo to decide
0.74Awaiting Construction2022-04-06
Park Lane Solar panels
London North Eastern Railway · 21/00631/LBC · 7.6 mo to decide
0.37Awaiting Construction2022-01-12
Land West Of Hunger Hill Farm
Greencoat Capital · 15/00484/FUL · 2.8 mo to decide
5Operational2015-08-13
Field at School Aycliffe Lane
Lightsource Renewable Energy · 14/01305/FUL · 5.7 mo to decide
5Operational2015-06-30
Aldi Distribution Centre - Darlington
Aldi · 13/00553/FUL · 2.2 mo to decide
1.2Operational2013-09-17

Does Darlington approve solar farms?

Yes — of the 17 solar farms Darlington has decided, 100% were approved (17 granted, 0 refused). The UK-wide rate for solar is 93%.

How long does a solar farm application take in Darlington?

The median time from application to decision is 1.8 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 Darlington consented?

147 MW has been consented across 17 approved schemes. There are no applications currently awaiting a decision.

Other technologies in Darlington

Battery storage in DarlingtonOnshore wind in Darlington

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.

Novarly Parcel · official public data, read properly · parcel.novarly.com

Screen a specific site here · All authorities · UK property report