BSR Energy’s Dengie Solar Park Receives Planning Approval

BSR Energy has received planning approval from Maldon District Council for its Dengie Solar Park near the village of Dengie, Maldon District, Essex.

The Dengie Solar Park will be constructed on 33 hectares of land, marking the latest development by BSR Energy, the UK's leading private integrated solar developer. Located south of Keelings Road, Dengie, the park will generate 19 MW of renewable energy, sufficient to power 4,751 homes and save 4,208 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually over its 40-year lifespan.

The planning application was initially submitted in April 2023 but was refused by the Maldon District Council due to flood risks on the proposed site and environmental concerns around the landscape & visual impact and harm to water bird assemblages.

BSR Energy carefully considered feedback from the council and opinions from the public after receiving the refusal. To mitigate the potential impact of the project, BSR Energy altered and resubmitted the application in January 2024 with several amendments. These included relocating the Distribution Network Operator substation and Battery Storage Units and performing a Flood Risk Sequential Test to demonstrate there were no other suitable land parcels that had a lower risk of flooding.

The mitigation plan for the potential impact on wildlife in the area was also further refined with a Farmland Bird Mitigation Strategy and Habitat Regulation Assessment performed to underline how the developer intends to minimise any impact on wildlife, including water birds. BSR Energy also revised the Landscape and Visual Assessment to emphasise the positive impact of some included proposals and mitigations.

With the application now approved by the council, construction of the solar park is expected to commence in early 2025 and become operational within six months.

Carla Hardaker, Development Director at BSR Energy, said: “We are delighted to have received planning permission; Dengie Solar Park will aid Maldon District Council in addressing the Climate Emergency it declared in February 2021 and in achieving its aim of becoming a carbon neutral District by 2030.”

The transition to renewable electricity is crucial if the UK Government is to reach its target of net zero by 2040. Dengie Solar Park and other similar projects are essential to help the nation meet its targets.”