The Cottam Solar Project application has today been granted development consent by the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero.
This is an NSIP development comprising three electricity generating stations, each with anticipated capacity in excess of 50MW, comprising of ground mounted solar arrays, with associated development comprising energy storage, grid connection, operation and maintenance of the NSIPs.
The application was submitted to the Planning Inspectorate for consideration by Cottam Solar Project Limited on 12 January 2023 and accepted for Examination on 9 February 2023.
Following an Examination during which the public, Statutory Consultees and Interested Parties were given the opportunity to give evidence to the Examining Authority, recommendations were made to the Secretary of State on 5 June 2024.
This is the 85th energy application out of 142 applications examined to date and was again completed by the Planning Inspectorate within the statutory timescale laid down in the Planning Act 2008.
Local communities continue to be given the opportunity of being involved in the examination of projects that may affect them. Local people, the local authority and other Interested Parties were able to participate in this six-month Examination.
The Examining Authority listened and gave full consideration to all local views and the evidence gathered during the Examination before making its recommendation to the Secretary of State.
The decision, the recommendation made by the Examining Authority to the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero and the evidence considered by the Examining Authority in reaching its recommendation are publicly available on the project pages of the National Infrastructure Planning website.
