The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has granted development consent for the Peartree Hill Solar Farm, a combined solar generation and battery storage facility capable of producing more than 50 megawatts of electricity, the Planning Inspectorate announced on 2 July 2026.

Project Overview

The Peartree Hill Solar Farm is designed to comprise both a solar farm and a collocated Battery Energy Storage System, known as a BESS. Together, these elements would allow for the generation, export and storage of electricity at a capacity exceeding 50 megawatts, placing the project within the category of nationally significant infrastructure requiring a Development Consent Order rather than conventional planning permission.

The applicant, RWE Renewables UK Solar and Storage Limited, submitted the application to the Planning Inspectorate on 21 February 2025. The application was accepted for examination on 21 March 2025, triggering the formal examination process under the Planning Act 2008.

Examination and Decision Timeline

Following acceptance, the project underwent a six-month public examination during which members of the public, the local authority, statutory consultees and other interested parties were given the opportunity to submit evidence and representations to the Examining Authority.

The Examining Authority considered all evidence gathered throughout this period before making its formal recommendation to the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero on 2 April 2026.

The final decision granting development consent was made by Lord Whitehead on behalf of the Energy Secretary's legal authority.

The Planning Inspectorate confirmed that the examination was completed within the statutory timescale laid down in the Planning Act 2008, a requirement that governs how nationally significant infrastructure projects must be processed.

Place in the National Infrastructure Pipeline

The Peartree Hill Solar Farm represents the 109th energy application out of a total of 177 applications examined by the Planning Inspectorate to date. The organisation handles applications for infrastructure projects across a range of sectors that are classified as nationally significant, with energy projects forming a substantial portion of its caseload.

The Planning Inspectorate noted that local communities were given the opportunity to participate in the examination of the project at each stage of the process.

Local people and the local authority were able to contribute to the six-month examination, with the Examining Authority required to give full consideration to all representations made before arriving at its recommendation.

Transparency and Public Access

The full decision, the recommendation made by the Examining Authority to the Secretary of State, and all evidence considered during the examination are publicly available on the project pages of the National Infrastructure Planning website. This requirement for public disclosure is standard practice for Development Consent Orders processed under the Planning Act 2008 framework.

The decision reflects the government's use of the nationally significant infrastructure project regime, which provides a dedicated consenting route for large-scale energy developments that fall above the threshold requiring a Development Consent Order rather than a standard local planning application. For electricity generating stations in England, that threshold is set at 50 megawatts, the level at which the Peartree Hill project is described as operating.

RWE Renewables UK Solar and Storage Limited is the applicant entity behind the project. RWE is an energy company with operations across renewable generation technologies, including solar and battery storage.

The Peartree Hill consent adds to a growing number of large-scale solar and storage projects receiving approval through the nationally significant infrastructure planning process in the United Kingdom.

The Planning Inspectorate press office is listed as the point of contact for journalists seeking further information regarding the decision and the examination process.

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