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Renewable planning SolarWest Devon

Solar planning in West Devon

West Devon has decided 12 solar farms and approved 83% of them, taking a median of 3.2 months to decide. Consented capacity: 25 MW.

83%
Approved
10 granted · 2 refused
3.2 mo
Median decision
UK 2.3 mo
25 MW
Consented
27 MW refused
1
Appeals
1 allowed on appeal

How West Devon compares

Against the 298 UK authorities with 5+ solar decisions, West Devon sits in the 12th percentile for approval rate (10 points below the England average) and the 27th percentile for speed.

Decisions by year

35Refused — 1 (2011)111Approved — 1 (2012)112Approved — 2 (2013)213Approved — 1 (2014)114Approved — 1 (2015)115Refused — 1 (2016)116Approved — 1 (2020)120Approved — 1 (2021)121Approved — 3 (2022)322
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 Withdrawn and still-undecided applications are excluded, so a short bar can mean a quiet year rather than a strict council.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 (12)

SchemeMWStatusDecided
Forthglade Foods, Dartmoor View - Solar Panels
Forthglade Foods Limited · 2716/22/PST · 1.9 mo to decide
0.86Awaiting Construction2022-10-07
Taw Valley Creamery - Solar panels
Arla Foods · 4408/21/PST · 1.7 mo to decide
0.2Awaiting Construction2022-01-20
Morrisons Supermarket - Solar Panels
WM Morrisons Supermarkets Plc · 4430/21/PST · 1.7 mo to decide
0.3Awaiting Construction2022-01-20
Parkwood Road Rooftop Solar Array
Tamar Energy Community Limited · 3705/20/PST · 2.4 mo to decide
0.15Operational2021-01-22
Two Post Lane
Solar South West · 0362/20/FUL · 3 mo to decide
12Operational2020-05-04
Land Adjacent to Taw Valley Creamery
Kinetica Energy · 01132/2014 · 15.1 mo to decide
22Application Refused2016-01-08
Land at Martin Farm
Murex Energy · 00715/2015 · 4.7 mo to decide
5Awaiting Construction2015-11-16
Hillsmoor Solar Farm
Mosscliff Environmental · 00765/2014 · 4.1 mo to decide
1.2Operational2014-10-31
Tredown Solar Farm
Lightsource Renewable Energy · 02517/2012 · 12 mo to decide
1.2Operational2013-03-28
Crockers Hele
Private Developer · 03273/2012 · 2.6 mo to decide
1.3Operational2013-02-13
Willsland Solar farm
The Green Company · 01537/2011 · 9.7 mo to decide
3.2Operational2012-03-07
North Tawton Solar Farm
ZW North Tawton · 01270/2011 · 3.4 mo to decide
5Application Refused2011-05-24

Does West Devon approve solar farms?

Yes — of the 12 solar farms West Devon has decided, 83% were approved (10 granted, 2 refused). The UK-wide rate for solar is 93%.

How long does a solar farm application take in West Devon?

The median time from application to decision is 3.2 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 West Devon consented?

25 MW has been consented across 10 approved schemes, with 27 MW refused. There are no applications currently awaiting a decision.

Other technologies in West Devon

Battery storage in West DevonOnshore wind in West Devon

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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