Renewable planning › Solar › Leicester
Solar planning in Leicester
Leicester has decided 13 solar farms and approved 100% of them, taking a median of 1.8 months to decide. Consented capacity: 8 MW. 3 applications still awaiting a decision.
How Leicester compares
Against the 298 UK authorities with 5+ solar decisions, Leicester sits in the 77th percentile for approval rate (7 points above the England average) and the 74th 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 Withdrawn and still-undecided applications are excluded, so a short bar can mean a quiet year rather than a strict council.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 (17)
| Scheme | MW | Status | Decided |
|---|---|---|---|
Rushey Mead Academy, Melton Road - Solar Panels eEnergy Group Plc · 20260101 | 0.28 | Application Submitted | 2026-01-27 |
Orchard Mead Academy, Keyham Lane West - Solar Panels eEnergy Group Plc · 20260096 | 0.28 | Application Submitted | 2026-01-27 |
Gateway College, Colin Grundy Drive - Solar Panels Gateway College · 20251613 · 1.6 mo to decide | 0.15 | Awaiting Construction | 2025-11-26 |
Sunningdale Road - Solar Panels Harvest Green Developments · 20251031 · 1.6 mo to decide | 1.57 | Awaiting Construction | 2025-08-14 |
Evington Leisure Centre - Solar Panels Evington Leisure Centre · 20250115 · 0.9 mo to decide | — | Awaiting Construction | 2025-03-28 |
Lewisher Road - Solar Arrays Marpatt Plc · 20241074 · 2.6 mo to decide | 0.17 | Awaiting Construction | 2024-09-06 |
Ashton Business Park, Ashton Close - Solar Array The Metal Works Limited · 20241081 · 1.8 mo to decide | 0.18 | Awaiting Construction | 2024-08-12 |
Madani Schools Federation - Solar Panels Solar Options for Schools Limited · 20240296 · 2.2 mo to decide | 0.27 | Awaiting Construction | 2024-04-22 |
Pepsico International Limited, Leycroft Road - Solar Panels Walkers Snacks (Distribution) Limited · 20240078 · 1.8 mo to decide | 3.25 | Under Construction | 2024-03-06 |
Langham Road - Solar Panels Cactus Energy · 20231726 · 2.4 mo to decide | 0.17 | Awaiting Construction | 2023-11-23 |
Newarke St Car Park - Solar Panels Leicester City Council | — | Under Construction | 2023-11-17 |
Bingo Club, Beaumont Way - Solar Panels Buzz Group Limited · 20231458 · 1.7 mo to decide | 0.4 | Awaiting Construction | 2023-09-22 |
Hoods Close - Solar Panels Trelleborg Industrial AVS · 20230307 | 1.7 | Under Construction | 2023-04-06 |
First Bus Depot, Humphreys Way - Solar Panels FirstBus · 20230167 | 0.18 | Application Submitted | 2023-02-13 |
Granby Road - Solar PV Panels & Air Source Heat Pumps Leicester City Council · 20212827 · 3.3 mo to decide | — | Awaiting Construction | 2022-03-14 |
Humberstone Heights Golf Club - Solar Panels Leicester City Council · 20212330 | — | Application Withdrawn | 2022-01-14 |
National Space Centre EvoEnergy · 20190026 · 2.1 mo to decide | 0.2 | Operational | 2019-03-15 |
Does Leicester approve solar farms?
Yes — of the 13 solar farms Leicester 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 Leicester?
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 Leicester consented?
8 MW has been consented across 13 approved schemes. A further 3 applications awaits a decision.
Other technologies in Leicester
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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