Kingsway Solar Farm

The Planning Process

S Chandler, West Wratting Parish Council, 5th April 2024

Objective

This page aims to explain how comments about the proposed solar farm – positive or negative – could be made to try to influence the planning application.

What do we know?

An introductory article about this proposed development was published on this website and in Challenge in April 2024.

Approval for the project is being sought be Kingsway Solar Farm Limited. Because it’s such a large project it is not going to be handled by the usual planning application process, instead it is classed as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) for which there is a GOV.UK webpage at

https://national-infrastructure-consenting.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/projects/EN010165

The process for national infrastructure projects is to decide if a Development Consent Order (DCO) can be granted. A DCO is a legal document that allows an applicant to build their proposed project. The applicant submits an application for a proposed development to the Planning Inspectorate. A panel of independent inspectors called the Examining Authority look at the project and start the examination of the application. They make a recommendation to the relevant Secretary of State about whether the project should go ahead.

The application is expected to be submitted in early 2026. The project is currently at the pre-application stage, during which the applicant must consult with people and organisations in the area. They must also create detailed documents about the impact the project could have on the environment.

It is important for parishioners of West Wratting, Balsham and Weston Colville to get involved at this stage to influence the application before it is sent to the Planning Inspectorate.

You can find out more about the pre-application stage here.

The Planning Inspectorate has published a series of advice notes that are intended to give advice about these matters.

• Advice for members of the public
• Advice for local authorities
• Advice on environmental matters

You can also find out about:

• The process for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs)
• and how to Have your say about a national infrastructure project

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Questions

Relevant local authorities will be invited to submit a local impact report (LIR) giving details of the likely impact of the proposed development on the authority’s area.

• Who are these Local Authorities?
• How can parishioners start to engage with them?
• How can parishioners most effectively influence the local impact report?

Apparently you will need to register to have your say about this NSIP. Registration will be open for at least 30 days for each project, during the pre-examination stage. The deadline for registering will be in the developer’s advert, or you can check the project page.

• When is the registration deadline? It’s not clear from the material available.

People registering will need to comment on what they consider to be the main issues and impacts. The comments need to include as much detail as possible and cover anything that may affect your day-to-day life.

• Should WWPC submit comments? If so we should consider drafting this as soon as possible so that we have it ready when we need to register.

If you have any comments, please leave them below.

Return to the Solar Farm webpage