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Renewable planning SolarLancaster

Solar planning in Lancaster

Lancaster has decided 13 solar farms and approved 100% of them, taking a median of 4.1 months to decide. Consented capacity: 71 MW.

100%
Approved
13 granted · 0 refused
4.1 mo
Median decision
UK 2.3 mo
71 MW
Consented
across approved schemes
0
Appeals
no appeals recorded

How Lancaster compares

Against the 298 UK authorities with 5+ solar decisions, Lancaster sits in the 77th percentile for approval rate (7 points above the England average) and the 14th percentile for speed.

Decisions by year

35Approved — 3 (2015)315Approved — 1 (2017)117Approved — 1 (2021)121Approved — 3 (2022)322Approved — 1 (2023)123Approved — 4 (2025)425
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 Withdrawn and still-undecided applications are excluded, so a short bar can mean a quiet year rather than a strict council.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 (14)

SchemeMWStatusDecided
Border Force Warehouse, South Quay - Solar Panels
EON B2B Solutions · 25/00169/PAS · 1.3 mo to decide
0.5Awaiting Construction2025-03-24
Peterson UK, North Quay - Solar panels
E.ON UK Heat Limited · 25/00168/PAS · 1.2 mo to decide
0.49Awaiting Construction2025-03-21
Southgate White, Lund Industrial Estate - Solar Panels
Lancaster City Council · 25/00136/PAS · 1.1 mo to decide
0.8Awaiting Construction2025-03-13
Burrow Beck - Solar farm
Lancaster City Council · 23/01383/FUL · 11.1 mo to decide
4Awaiting Construction2025-01-09
Higher Crookhey Farm, Garstang Road - Solar Panel System
Wallings Ice Cream · 22/01325/FUL · 4.4 mo to decide
0.15Awaiting Construction2023-03-07
Moorside Farm - Solar Farm
Opdenergy UK Limited · 22/00017/FUL · 9.6 mo to decide
28Awaiting Construction2022-11-14
Brades Farm, Farleton Old Road, Farleton - Solar PV Panels
Brades Farm · 22/00688/PAS · 1.6 mo to decide
0.32Awaiting Construction2022-07-21
Hazelrigg Lane, Scotforth - Solar Farm
BeBa Energy UK Limited / University of Lancaster · 21/01247/FUL · 5 mo to decide
16.5Under Construction2022-03-09
Salt Ayre Leisure Centre - Solar Farm
Lancaster City Council · 21/00256/FUL · 3.2 mo to decide
3Awaiting Construction2021-04-28
Lancaster Wastewater Treatment Works
United Utilities · LCC/2016/0065 · 5.3 mo to decide
1.2Operational2017-01-20
Cinderbarrow Lane
Livos Energy · 15/00949/FUL · 6 mo to decide
5Abandoned2016-01-21
Land North of Saddler Nook Lane
Delta Solar · 15/00876/FUL · 2.4 mo to decide
5Planning Permission Expired2015-10-22
Arna Wood Solar
BE Renewables (on behalf of Arna Wood) · 14/00907/FUL · 10.4 mo to decide
6.2Operational2015-07-01
Fanny House Farm
Primrose Solar · 15/00243/FUL · 3.9 mo to decide
5Operational2015-06-30

Does Lancaster approve solar farms?

Yes — of the 13 solar farms Lancaster has decided, 100% were approved (13 granted, 0 refused). The UK-wide rate for solar is 93%.

How long does a solar farm application take in Lancaster?

The median time from application to decision is 4.1 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 Lancaster consented?

71 MW has been consented across 13 approved schemes. There are no applications currently awaiting a decision.

Other technologies in Lancaster

Battery storage in LancasterOnshore wind in Lancaster

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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