Renewable planning › Solar › Westminster
Solar planning in Westminster
Westminster has decided 6 solar farms and approved 83% of them, taking a median of 1.5 months to decide. Consented capacity: 3 MW. 1 application still awaiting a decision.
⚠️ Small caseload (6 decided). Percentages here move a lot with one more decision — read them as indicative, not as a reliable rate.
How Westminster compares
Against the 298 UK authorities with 5+ solar decisions, Westminster sits in the 12th percentile for approval rate (10 points below the England average) and the 95th 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 Withdrawn and still-undecided applications are excluded, so a short bar can mean a quiet year rather than a strict council.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 (8)
| Scheme | MW | Status | Decided |
|---|---|---|---|
David Lloyd Leisure - Solar PV Panels David Lloyd Leisure · 25/05119/PASPV · 1.6 mo to decide | 0.21 | Application Refused | 2025-09-11 |
London Zoo, Outer Circle - Solar Panels London Zoo · 25/01347/PASPV · 1.8 mo to decide | 0.21 | Awaiting Construction | 2025-04-25 |
Dolphin Square - Solar panels The Dolphin Square Estate S.a.r.l · 22/01317/FULL · 7.3 mo to decide | — | Under Construction | 2022-12-05 |
Pegasus House, Sackville Street - Roof Mounted Solar Panels Unknown · 21/07248/FULL · 1.3 mo to decide | 2.3 | Awaiting Construction | 2021-12-13 |
Crompton Street - Solar Photovoltaic Array Westminster City Council · 21/07200/APA · 1.2 mo to decide | 0.2 | Awaiting Construction | 2021-11-25 |
Consession Queen Mother Sports Centre - Solar Panels Westminster City Council · 21/07198/P3JPA | — | Application Submitted | 2021-10-20 |
Bush House - Solar panels Kings College London · 21/02516/FULL · 1.3 mo to decide | — | Awaiting Construction | 2021-05-27 |
Imperial College Health CentreSolar Panels Imperial College · 21/00957/APA | — | Application Withdrawn | 2021-03-11 |
Does Westminster approve solar farms?
Yes — of the 6 solar farms Westminster has decided, 83% were approved (5 granted, 1 refused). The UK-wide rate for solar is 93%. Note this is a small caseload, so treat the percentage as indicative rather than statistically robust.
How long does a solar farm application take in Westminster?
The median time from application to decision is 1.5 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 Westminster consented?
3 MW has been consented across 5 approved schemes. A further 1 application awaits a decision.
Other technologies in Westminster
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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