DCO application

Following the submission of a DCO application for Cleve Hill Solar Park on 16 November 2018, the application was accepted for Examination by the Planning Inspectorate, who acts on behalf of the Secretary of State for BEIS, on Friday 14 December 2018.

The examination phase of the project took place between 30 May 2019 and 30 November 2019. This featured eleven hearings held across July and September. The hearings covered a range of key issues, enabling the developers, statutory bodies, community groups and members of the public to debate and respond to various topics including wildlife, traffic, visual impacts and energy storage.

The full suite of documentation that was included as part of the Examination, including full transcripts of the hearings, can be viewed and downloaded from the Planning Inspectorate’s Examination Library here.

On 28 May 2020, the Secretary of State for BEIS made the decision to grant development consent for Cleve Hill Solar Park. You can read his decision letter, and the recommendation report from the Examining Authority here.

Consultation

Since November 2017, we have met with people from across the community at our consultation events and meetings. As set out in our Consultation Report, we have met with near neighbours, local action groups, community groups, local businesses and elected representatives to share and receive feedback on our proposals..

In response to the feedback received to our proposals, we have made a number of changes to the project, some of which include:

  • Reducing the total area of the solar park covered by solar panels to 45.5 % of the developable area. Leaving the remaining arable land to be managed for biodiversity benefits.

  • Retaining a dual-use of the land such as lowland meadow and sheep grazing.

  • A bespoke landscape and biodiversity management plan, designed in collaboration with Natural England, Kent Wildlife Trust, RSPB, and the Environment Agency, which will allow the solar park to deliver a 65% biodiversity net gain on site.

  • Reduction of overall traffic numbers from the number identified in the Preliminary Environmental Impact Report (PEIR), and developing a Construction Traffic Management Plan (CTMP) which incorporates comments and concerns for congestion and traffic numbers.

  • Adding 3.64 km of native hedgerow screening planting across the site to protect views and improve biodiversity.

Details of how we consulted, including how we have responded to feedback, is included in the Consultation Report and its associated Appendices. You can view these Planning Inspectorate’s Examination Library, or our Downloads section below.

If you require any guidance on the documents included as part of the DCO application, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.