Renewable planning › Solar › Tunbridge Wells
Solar planning in Tunbridge Wells
Tunbridge Wells has decided 20 solar farms and approved 80% of them, taking a median of 2.6 months to decide. Consented capacity: 95 MW. 6 applications still awaiting a decision.
How Tunbridge Wells compares
Against the 298 UK authorities with 5+ solar decisions, Tunbridge Wells sits in the 7th percentile for approval rate (13 points below the England average) and the 44th 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 Withdrawn and still-undecided applications are excluded, so a short bar can mean a quiet year rather than a strict council.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 (26)
| Scheme | MW | Status | Decided |
|---|---|---|---|
Adrian Scripps, Moat Farm - Solar Panels Adrian Scripps Limited · 25/02230/PN14J · 1.8 mo to decide | 0.29 | Awaiting Construction | 2025-11-17 |
Fountains Retail Park, Dowding Way - Solar Panels Sackville UK Property Select III (GP) No3 Limited · 25/01929/FULL · 1.8 mo to decide | — | Awaiting Construction | 2025-10-29 |
Car park, Royal Victoria Place - Solar Car port Canopies Tunbridge Wells Borough Council · 25/02260/FULL | — | Application Submitted | 2025-09-25 |
Lower Ellenden Farm, Water Lane - Solar Panels RNA Energy Limited · 24/01768/FULL · 9.4 mo to decide | — | Application Refused | 2025-05-01 |
Netters Farm, Attwaters Lane - Solar Pv Array RNA Energy Limited · 24/01767/FULL · 9.4 mo to decide | 10 | Application Refused | 2025-05-01 |
Sainsburys, Linden Park Road - Solar Panels Sainsburys Supermarkets Limited · 25/00479/PN14J · 1.7 mo to decide | 0.43 | Awaiting Construction | 2025-04-24 |
Reeds Solar Farm, Alders Road - Solar Farm & Battery Storage Low Carbon · 22/03563/FULL · 26.7 mo to decide | 10 | Awaiting Construction | 2025-03-06 |
Tunbridge Wells South Wastewater Treatment Works, Broom Lane - PV Array Southern Water Services Limited · 23/02818/LAWPRO · 1.8 mo to decide | 0.72 | Awaiting Construction | 2023-12-18 |
Lower Ellenden Farm, Water Lane - Solar Panels RNA Energy Limited · 23/02059/FULL | 6 | Revised | 2023-12-01 |
Knockout Print Services, Petteridge Lane - Solar Panels Knockout Print Services Limited · 23/02277/PN14J · 1.5 mo to decide | 2.5 | Awaiting Construction | 2023-10-16 |
Maidstone Road, Horsmonden - Paddock Solar Farm Voltalia UK · 22/02773/FULL · 11.5 mo to decide | 49.9 | Under Construction | 2023-09-05 |
Moat Farm, Whetsted Road - Solar Panels Adrian Scripps Limited · 23/01812/PN14J · 1.8 mo to decide | 0.27 | Awaiting Construction | 2023-09-04 |
Netters Farm, Attwaters Lane - Solar Pv Array RNA Energy Limited · 23/02067/FULL | 10 | Revised | 2023-08-30 |
Hononton Farm, Furnace Lane - Solar Photovoltaics J Simpson · 22/03006/PN14J · 1.8 mo to decide | 0.16 | Awaiting Construction | 2022-12-09 |
Lower Ellenden Farm - Solar Farm & Battery Energy Storage RNA Energy limited · 22/01884/FULL | 6 | Revised | 2022-09-22 |
Netters Farm, Hawkhurst - Solar Farm & Battery Energy Storage RNA Energy Limited · 22/01695/FULL | 10 | Revised | 2022-09-22 |
Longfield Road, Royal Tunbridge Wells - Solar Panels Arden Maidstone Limited · 22/01075/PN14J · 1.6 mo to decide | 0.15 | Awaiting Construction | 2022-05-31 |
Transfesa Road, Paddock Wood - Solar PV System Bidfood · 22/01952/PN14J | 0.88 | Application Submitted | 2022-05-07 |
Moat Farm, Five Oak Green Geo Green Power Limited · 21/02907/PN14J · 1.6 mo to decide | 0.22 | Awaiting Construction | 2021-10-19 |
Churn Lane, Horsmonden Solar Panels Cottage Farms Limited · 21/00223/FULL · 3.7 mo to decide | 0.5 | Operational | 2021-06-18 |
Homebase Linden Park Road Orchard Street Investment Management · 20/00920/PN14J · 1.7 mo to decide | 0.2 | Awaiting Construction | 2020-05-15 |
Land At Pullen Farm Novus Solar Developments · 15/503884/FULL · 8.8 mo to decide | 10 | Appeal Refused | 2016-03-24 |
Capel Grange Solar Park West Coast Energy · 14/506168/FULL · 3.9 mo to decide | 6.6 | Operational | 2015-04-10 |
Paddock Wood Foresight Solar Fund · 14/502851/FULL · 3.4 mo to decide | 9.2 | Operational | 2014-12-19 |
Hadlow Place solar farm Hadlow Solar Park · 14/00870/FULL · 8 mo to decide | 14.3 | Operational | 2014-11-27 |
Capel Grange West Coast Energy · 14/00271/FULL · 7.4 mo to decide | 10.4 | Application Refused | 2014-09-15 |
Does Tunbridge Wells approve solar farms?
Yes — of the 20 solar farms Tunbridge Wells has decided, 80% were approved (16 granted, 4 refused). The UK-wide rate for solar is 93%.
How long does a solar farm application take in Tunbridge Wells?
The median time from application to decision is 2.6 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 Tunbridge Wells consented?
95 MW has been consented across 16 approved schemes, with 30 MW refused. A further 6 applications awaits a decision.
Other technologies in Tunbridge Wells
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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