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Renewable planning SolarRochdale

Solar planning in Rochdale

Rochdale has decided 11 solar farms and approved 100% of them, taking a median of 1.8 months to decide. Consented capacity: 9 MW. 2 applications still awaiting a decision.

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

How Rochdale compares

Against the 298 UK authorities with 5+ solar decisions, Rochdale 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 (2015)115Approved — 1 (2020)120Approved — 2 (2021)221Approved — 2 (2023)223Approved — 2 (2024)224Approved — 3 (2025)325
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 Withdrawn and still-undecided applications are excluded, so a short bar can mean a quiet year rather than a strict council.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 (13)

SchemeMWStatusDecided
Cardinal Langley RC High School, Rochdale Road - Solar Panels
Located Property Limited · 25/00764/PRA56 · 2 mo to decide
0.36Awaiting Construction2025-09-23
Inkech, Crawford Street - Solar Panels
Ashcroft Electrical Services Limited · 25/00454/PRA56 · 1.8 mo to decide
0.21Awaiting Construction2025-07-08
Corrosion Resistant Products, Todmorden Road - Solar Panels
Rawson EVPower Limited · 25/00009/PRA56 · 1.8 mo to decide
0.26Awaiting Construction2025-02-27
Spotland Stadium, Sandy Lane - Solar Panels
Rochdale AFC · 24/01075/PRA56 · 1.2 mo to decide
0.15Awaiting Construction2024-12-18
Hopwood Hall College, Rochdale Road - Solar Panels
Hopwood Hall College · 24/00722/PRA56
0.5Application Submitted2024-08-12
Tesco Distribution Centre, Stakehill Industrial Estate - Solar Panels
Tritax Management Llp · 24/00124/PRA56 · 1.7 mo to decide
1Awaiting Construction2024-04-12
David Lloyd Health Club, Heywood Old Road - Solar Panel
David Lloyd Leisure Limited · 23/00757/PRA56 · 3.1 mo to decide
0.55Awaiting Construction2023-11-10
Makin Metal Powders Limited, Buckley Road - Solar Panels
Makin Metal Powders Limited · 23/00596/PRA56 · 2.5 mo to decide
0.65Awaiting Construction2023-09-04
Norden Community School - Solar PV Systems
Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council · 21/00582/PRA56 · 2.4 mo to decide
0.16Awaiting Construction2021-08-23
Heywood Sports Village - Solar Panels
Rochdale Borough Council · 21/00587/PRA56 · 1.8 mo to decide
0.15Awaiting Construction2021-08-04
Chamber House
Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council · 20/00687/FUL · 2.2 mo to decide
3.99Under Construction2020-08-10
Chamber House
Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council · 15/00595/FUL · 1.8 mo to decide
5Revised2015-07-28
Robert McBride Ltd
PerPetum Sun · 15/00165/FUL · 1.8 mo to decide
1.3Planning Permission Expired2015-04-29

Does Rochdale approve solar farms?

Yes — of the 11 solar farms Rochdale has decided, 100% were approved (11 granted, 0 refused). The UK-wide rate for solar is 93%.

How long does a solar farm application take in Rochdale?

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 Rochdale consented?

9 MW has been consented across 11 approved schemes. A further 2 applications awaits a decision.

Other technologies in Rochdale

Battery storage in RochdaleOnshore wind in Rochdale

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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