North Dairy Solar Park
The North Dairy Effect
The amount of renewable energy (in MWhrs) annually
*Please note that calculations may be adjusted to ensure maximum accuracy
North Dairy Solar Park
British Solar Renewables (BSR Energy) has received consent to build a new solar development on Land at North Dairy Farm, Pulham, Dorchester. The 77.94-hectare site is located between the villages of Pulham (to the west), Hazelbury Bryan (to the east) and Mappowder (to the south). The development will represent an opportunity to boost green energy generation in Dorset.
BSR’s development will deliver a solar park with an export capacity of up to 49.99MW. This energy would be fed directly into the grid via an onsite substation connection.
Indicative timeline
- Start on Site
- October 2025
- Main Construction Works
- October 2025
- Framing and Panel Installation
- March / April 2026
- Practical Completion
- September 2026
- Energisation
- September / October 2026
- Landscaping
- October 2026 - February 2027
- Demobilisation
- November 2026
Construction Routing
Two optimal construction traffic routes have been agreed with the Highway Authority (Dorset Council). In both cases the route from and to the site does not differ.
The first, marked in blue, offers a route for westbound arrivals via the A35, using the A354, B3142, B3143 and Cannings Court Lane before turning onto North Dairy Farm Track.
The second, marked in yellow, turns off the A3030 at the junction with the B3143, continuing on the latter road until turning onto Cannings Court Lane and North Dairy Farm Track.
The hours of construction will be from 0700 to 1800 Monday to Friday and between 0700 to 1700 on Saturdays, with construction deliveries managed to avoid the traditional AM peak hour (08:00-09:00) and the PM peak hour (17:00-18:00).
We are taking steps to ensure that noise impacts are minimised during the construction of North Dairy Solar Park. The measures we are adopting include:
• Standard construction hours
• Applying and strictly adhering to low-speed limits within the site and within the vicinity of the site
• As far as possible, ensuring all contractor vehicles are fitted with adequate noise control equipment in good working order
• Machines and equipment in intermittent use will be shut down or throttled down to a minimum when not in use
• Ensuring no parking or queuing of construction traffic on surrounding roads.
Biodiversity Improvements
Solar farms can be designed to enhance habitats for local wildlife. Measures we will adopt to protect and enhance biodiversity will see North Dairy Farm Solar Park deliver a 74.58% increase in habitat units and a 49.83% increase in hedgerow units - a combined 124.41% biodiversity net gain (BNG). No trees within the site will be impacted by the development, and biodiversity improvements will include:
• The maintenance of existing hedgerow field boundaries and the creation of new native-species hedgerows
• The planting of new broadleaved woodland and tree belts
• The erection of wildlife boxes for nesting birds and roosting bats, as well as hibernacula (refuges for hibernation) for herptiles
• Low-intensity grazing of areas beneath the panels by sheep
• The creation of wildflower grassland, which will be managed in a wildlife-friendly way to encourage flowering and seeding
Furthermore, we are exploring ways that our community benefit fund can help support nature in the local area, and we are currently engaging with Hazelbury Bryan Climate Action Group on plans to rewild the River Lydden.
Community Benefit
We believe that it’s right that the community closest to our solar farms are able to benefit from it. All our solar sites in the UK therefore have a dedicated community fund to spend on improvements in the local area.
For North Dairy Solar Farm, we have created a community benefit fund of £62,000 with the Dorset Community Foundation. The foundation works with community groups and charities throughout Dorset to help deliver a range of charitable programmes. North Dairy’s fund, which will be available upon energisation, is ringfenced for use within the parishes of Mappowder, Pulham, and Hazelbury Bryan.
The focus areas will include projects supporting disadvantaged children and young people, schemes to reduce loneliness and isolation among the elderly, programmes addressing fuel poverty, local conservation projects, and general upkeep, maintenance and small-scale adaptations to the village hall.
If you have any questions of queries over the course of the build, or want to be included in the quarterly project updates, please contact NorthDairySolar@britishrenewables.com
