British Solar Renewables Knowl Green Solar Park receives planning approval
In brief
- Knowl Green Solar Park has received planning consent and will deliver 49.99MW of renewable energy capacity, enough to power around 12,500 homes while avoiding approximately 11,700 tonnes of CO₂ emissions each year.
- The project will deliver significant biodiversity improvements, including 179.96% Biodiversity Net Gain for habitat and 53.59% for hedgerows, far exceeding the UK’s statutory 10% requirement.
- Following community consultation, the project design was updated to address local feedback, including additional landscape screening and changes to construction arrangements.
- The development will include a Community Benefit Fund of up to £49,990, supporting local initiatives alongside the delivery of clean energy and greater energy security.
Last updated: October 2026
British Solar Renewables are taking another important step forward in the fight against climate change and are excited to announce that our 49.99MW Knowl Green Solar Park has received planning consent.
Located at Bakers Road, Belchamp St Paul, the 49.7-hectare site will help accelerate decarbonisation in the UK by delivering clean renewable energy to 12,501* homes and offsetting around 11,702 tonnes of CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) emissions annually.
Biodiversity is at the heart of our considerations when it comes to planning proposals. For Knowl Green Solar Park, we’ve committed to providing a Biodiversity Net Gain of 179.96% for habitat and 53.59% for hedgerow increase. Part of this includes retaining and managing existing habitats on site to ensure that there is no detrimental impact over the lifespan of the development. This not only meets but far exceeds the minimum 10% target outlined by the Government in the Environment Act 2021.
Ensuring the local community and stakeholders are involved in every step of the way is also crucial to making our sites a success. Prior to submitting the planning application, BSR held a five -week consultation with the community to hear their concerns around perceived visual impact, construction traffic on local roads and the impact on current agricultural use.
Following the feedback, we made amends to our proposals including:
- Removal of specific construction compounds to mitigate diversion traffic
- Planting three rows of trees to provide additional screening to mitigate visual impacts of the development
Like many of our sites, Knowl Green will have operational lifespan of 40 years, and following decommission, the land will be efficiently reverted to agricultural use.
We will also be establishing a Community Benefit Fund for the local community worth up to £49,990 ensuring that the funds are distributed to important local projects.
The delivery of our solar development are strides towards helping the UK reach a 95% clean grid by 2030 and move the UK towards greater energy security at a crucial time.
Construction is set to begin in early 2026 and become operational within twelve months.
“BSR is excited to have submitted a planning application to Braintree Council following a positive consultation with the local community. BSR is providing Biodiversity Net Gain of 179.96% for habitat and 53.59% for hedgerow, which far exceeds the minimum 10% target outlined by the Government in the Environment Act 2021. As part of this, existing habitats on site will be retained and managed over the lifespan of the development, something that we know is important to the local community.” James O’Connor, Project Manager at British Solar Renewables
Got any questions? Don’t hesitate to get in touch!
*Based on an annual average domestic consumption per household (Great Britain) of 3,799 kWh. Source BEIS, Regional and Local authority electricity consumption statics 2018.5
! Based on ‘Emissions associated with the generation of electricity at a power station (Electricity generation factors do not include transmission and distribution). Source BEIS, Greenhouse gas reporting: conversion factors 2020.
