Renewable planning › Solar › St Albans
Solar planning in St Albans
St Albans has decided 10 solar farms and approved 100% of them, taking a median of 1.6 months to decide. Consented capacity: 3 MW. 5 applications still awaiting a decision.
How St Albans compares
Against the 298 UK authorities with 5+ solar decisions, St Albans sits in the 77th percentile for approval rate (7 points above the England average) and the 92nd 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 Withdrawn and still-undecided applications are excluded, so a short bar can mean a quiet year rather than a strict council.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 (16)
| Scheme | MW | Status | Decided |
|---|---|---|---|
Sainsburys Supermarkets - Solar Panels Sainsbury's Supermarkets Limited · 5/2026/0343 | 0.6 | Application Submitted | 2026-02-20 |
The Albert Bygrave Retail Park, North Orbital Road - Solar Panels ABRP Uk Limited · 5/2025/2095 · 1.8 mo to decide | — | Awaiting Construction | 2026-01-21 |
St Albans School, Abbey Gateway - Solar Panels St Albans School · 1.6 mo to decide | 0.19 | Awaiting Construction | 2025-08-20 |
Beechtree Junction, Potters Crouch - Solar PV Panels Exagen Development Limited · 5/2025/1132 | 49.9 | Application Submitted | 2025-07-04 |
Hatfield Road - Solar Panels Gondola Pro · 5/2024/1458 · 1.6 mo to decide | 0.29 | Awaiting Construction | 2024-10-10 |
The Range, Graham Close - Roof Mounted Solar Panels Natwest Trustee & Depository Services Limited · 5/2024/0795 · 1.8 mo to decide | 0.47 | Awaiting Construction | 2024-07-02 |
Spire Harpenden Hospital - Solar Panels Spire Healthcare · 5/2024/0403 · 1.8 mo to decide | 0.26 | Awaiting Construction | 2024-06-04 |
Sandringham school, The Ridgeway - Solar Panels Earthpoints Limited · 5/2023/2209 · 1.6 mo to decide | 0.16 | Awaiting Construction | 2023-12-19 |
Verulam School - Solar Panels Earthpoints Limited · 5/2023/2211 · 1.4 mo to decide | 0.17 | Awaiting Construction | 2023-12-14 |
St Albans Retail Park, Griffiths Way - Solar Panels Natwest Trustee & Depository Services Limited · 5/2023/1803 · 1.3 mo to decide | 0.79 | Awaiting Construction | 2023-10-04 |
Verulam School, Brampton Road - Solar Panels Earthpoints Limited · 5/2023/1723 | 0.16 | Revised | 2023-08-11 |
Sandringham School, The Ridgeway - Solar Panels Earthpoints Limited · 5/2023/1724 | 0.48 | Revised | 2023-08-11 |
The Maltings Shopping Centre - Solar Array St Albans (Maltings 4) Limited · 5/2023/1283 · 1.5 mo to decide | 0.33 | Awaiting Construction | 2023-08-04 |
Westminster Lodge Leisure Centre - Solar Panels St Albans City & District Council · 5/2022/0666 | 0.18 | Application Submitted | 2022-03-15 |
Samuel Ryder Academy - Solar panels Scholars Education Trust · 5/2021/0521 | 0.2 | Application Withdrawn | 2021-04-13 |
Aylett Nurseries - Solar Panels Aylett Nurseries | — | Operational | — |
Does St Albans approve solar farms?
Yes — of the 10 solar farms St Albans has decided, 100% were approved (10 granted, 0 refused). The UK-wide rate for solar is 93%.
How long does a solar farm application take in St Albans?
The median time from application to decision is 1.6 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 St Albans consented?
3 MW has been consented across 10 approved schemes. A further 5 applications awaits a decision.
Other technologies in St Albans
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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