Novarly ParcelRenewable planning

Renewable planning SolarTrafford

Solar planning in Trafford

Trafford has decided 17 solar farms and approved 82% of them, taking a median of 1.8 months to decide. Consented capacity: 5 MW. 2 applications still awaiting a decision.

82%
Approved
14 granted · 3 refused
1.8 mo
Median decision
UK 2.3 mo
5 MW
Consented
1 MW refused
0
Appeals
no appeals recorded

How Trafford compares

Against the 298 UK authorities with 5+ solar decisions, Trafford sits in the 10th percentile for approval rate (11 points below the England average) and the 74th percentile for speed.

Decisions by year

510Approved — 1 (2020)120Refused — 1 (2021)121Approved — 3 (2022)322Approved — 1 (2023)123Approved — 4 (2024)424Approved — 4 (2025)Refused — 2 (2025)625Approved — 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 Withdrawn and still-undecided applications are excluded, so a short bar can mean a quiet year rather than a strict council.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 (19)

SchemeMWStatusDecided
Pisces, Mosley Road, Unit B - Solar Panels
HEREF Trafford Park Property Unit Trust · 117940/PRJ/25 · 1.8 mo to decide
0.17Awaiting Construction2026-02-02
Trafford General Hospital, Moorside Road - Solar Arrays
Trafford General Hospital · 118145/PRJ/26
0.36Application Submitted2026-02-02
Central Park Estate, Trafford Park, Unit 22, - Solar Panels
Indurent Management Limited · 118207/PRJ/26
0.47Application Submitted2026-01-23
Bowless Exhibition, Longeridge Road - Solar Panels Array
Bowlers Exhibition Centre · 117557/PRJ/25 · 1.7 mo to decide
0.99Awaiting Construction2025-12-15
Barton Dock Road, Trafford Park - Solar Panels
Williams Motor Company Limited · 117215/PRJ/25 · 1.8 mo to decide
0.27Application Refused2025-10-28
Lostock High School - Solar Panels
Located Property Limited · 116919/PRJ/25 · 1.8 mo to decide
0.17Application Refused2025-10-21
Broadoak Comprehensive School, Warburton Lane - Solar Panels
LocatED Property Limited · 116988/PRJ/25 · 1.8 mo to decide
0.23Awaiting Construction2025-10-20
Springfield Primary School, Springfield Road - Solar Panels Array
Solar Options for Schools Limited · 116854/PRJ/25 · 1.8 mo to decide
0.18Awaiting Construction2025-09-15
Gamma Telecom, Second Avenue - Solar Panels
Gamma Telecom · 116756/PRJ/25 · 1.7 mo to decide
0.25Awaiting Construction2025-09-02
Golden Way, Urmston - Unit 24 - Solar Panels
Sainsburys Supermarkets Limited · 114076/PRJ/24 · 1.7 mo to decide
0.37Awaiting Construction2024-09-13
CHEP Manchester, Trafford Park - Solar Panels
CHEP UK Limited · 112979/PRJ/24 · 1.8 mo to decide
0.35Awaiting Construction2024-04-30
Sainsburys - Solar Panels
Sainsburys Supermarkets Limited · 112829/PRJ/24 · 1.8 mo to decide
0.36Awaiting Construction2024-04-03
David Lloyd Manchester, Barton Embankment - Solar Panels
David Lloyd Leisure Manchester · 112349/PRJ/23 · 1.8 mo to decide
0.25Awaiting Construction2024-03-20
DB Schenker, Mosley Road - Solar Arrays
Schenker Limited · 111667/PRJ/23 · 1.8 mo to decide
0.22Awaiting Construction2023-10-17
Longford Park School, Cromwell Road - Solar Panels
Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council · 109399/PRJ/22 · 1.1 mo to decide
0.43Awaiting Construction2022-12-12
Fifth Avenue, Trafford Park - Solar Panels
BMO Real Estate Partners · 108053/PRJ/22 · 2.1 mo to decide
0.27Awaiting Construction2022-07-13
Metrolink Trafford Depot, Warwick Road - Solar Arrays
Jamieson Contracting · 107032/PRJ/22 · 1.7 mo to decide
0.28Awaiting Construction2022-03-22
Metrolink Trafford Depot - Solar Panels & Battery Storage
Briar · 104663/PRJ/21 · 2.3 mo to decide
0.26Application Refused2021-07-21
Tesco Extra Altrincham
Tesco Stores / Kingspan Energy · 101166/PRJ/20 · 1.7 mo to decide
0.5Under Construction2020-09-11

Does Trafford approve solar farms?

Yes — of the 17 solar farms Trafford has decided, 82% were approved (14 granted, 3 refused). The UK-wide rate for solar is 93%.

How long does a solar farm application take in Trafford?

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 Trafford consented?

5 MW has been consented across 14 approved schemes, with 1 MW refused. A further 2 applications awaits a decision.

Other technologies in Trafford

Battery storage in TraffordOnshore wind in Trafford

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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