Wiltshire - Proposal for Solar Park Construction and Operation

Lime Down Solar Park

SECTION 48 PLANNING ACT 2008

REGULATION 4 OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING

(APPLICATIONS: PRESCRIBED FORMS AND PROCEDURE)

REGULATIONS 2009.

Notice publicising a proposed application for a Development Consent Order ("DCO") to construct, operate, maintain and decommission a solar photovoltaic (PV) generating station, with a generating capacity of more than 50 megawatts (MW) and associated infrastructure on land in Wiltshire (Lime Down Solar Park).

Notice is hereby given that Lime Down Solar Park Limited (Company registration number 13211532) of Unit 25.7 Coda Studios, 189 Munster Road, London, England SW6 6AW (the Applicant), proposes to apply to the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero under Section 37 of the Planning Act 2008 for a Development Consent Order for the Lime Down Solar Park (the Application).

Lime Down Solar Park will cover a combined area of approximately 2,835 hectares and will consist of the following sites:

• Lime Down A, B, C, D, E: five solar array sites located in Wiltshire currently comprising 878 hectares which lie to the north of the M4, southwest of Malmesbury, between the villages of Alderton, Luckington, Sherston, Foxley, Norton, Corston, Startley, Upper Seagry, Lower Stanton St Quintin, and Hullavington.

• The solar array sites will include solar panels, conversion units, inverters, up to five 33 kV substations located in Lime Down A to E and up to three 132 kV substations located in Lime Down A, C and E. There will be one 400 kV substation located within Lime Down D.

• One or two Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) areas, both of which will be located within Lime Down D.

• A cable route search area has been identified for the underground electricity cables connecting the Lime Down A to E solar array sites, substations and the BESS to the national grid at the existing Melksham Substation, currently comprising 1,947 hectares; and,

• Associated infrastructure, mitigation and enhancement measures, and other ancillary works, for example, fencing, security, local grid connections, temporary access roads, permanent means of access, highway works, temporary works compounds and work sites.

Lime Down Solar Park is located entirely within the administrative boundary of Wiltshire Council. The solar PV sites are located across several parishes:

• Lime Down A is located within the civil parish of Sherston approximately 735 metres to the southeast of Sherston;

• Lime Down B is located within the civil parish of Norton approximately 3.9 km to the west of Malmesbury;

• Lime Down C is located across the civil parishes of Sherston, Luckington, Hullavington, and Norton approximately 3.3 km to the south of Sherston;

• Lime Down D, which incorporates the proposed BESS areas, is located across the civil parishes of Norton and Hullavington approximately 4 km to the southwest of Malmesbury; and

• Lime Down E is located within the civil parish of St Paul Malmesbury Without approximately 4.4 km to the south of Malmesbury.

The proposed DCO will, among other things, authorise:

• Construction, operation, maintenance and decommissioning of the solar PV electricity generating station and associated development including grid connection and energy storage facility;

• Compulsory acquisition of land, including interests in land, rights over land and imposition of restrictions, powers to override, suspend or extinguish rights over land and powers for the temporary use of land;

• The application, modification and/or disapplication of legislation including legislation relating to the compulsory purchase and landlord and tenant and

• Such ancillary, incidental and consequential provisions, including powers, rights, permits and consents as necessary and/or convenient.

Lime Down Solar Park is an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) development for the purposes of the Infrastructure Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017. This means that the proposed works constitute development for which an EIA is required and the proposed application for a DCO will therefore be accompanied by an Environmental Statement. The Environmental Statement will provide a detailed description of Lime Down Solar Park and its likely significant environmental effects. Information compiled so far about Lime Down Solar Park’s likely significant environmental effects is set out for consultation in a Preliminary Environmental Information Report (the PEIR) and summarised in a Non-Technical Summary (NTS).

Statutory Consultation

The Applicant is undertaking a statutory consultation on the proposals for Lime Down Solar Park between 29 January and 19 March 2025.

A copy of the PEIR, together with the PEIR NTS, the Statement of Community Consultation (SoCC), and other consultation documents, plans and maps explaining the statutory consultation process and details of the nature and location of Lime Down Solar Park can be found on the Applicant’s website in the document library at www.limedownsolar.co.uk. These documents will be free to read and download from the Applicant’s website from 29 January to 19 March 2025.

Hard copies of the SoCC, PEIR, PEIR NTS, maps and plans will be available for inspection free of charge from 29 January until 19 March 2025 at the following community access points:

Hard copies of the Consultation Leaflet, Project Information Booklet and the Consultation Feedback Form will be available to take away free of charge. Please note that due to limited space at Corsham Library and Melksham Library hard copies of the consultation materials will only be available to view during staffed hours when it is possible to request assistance from a member of staff to provide access to the documents.

Electronic copies of all the consultation documents may be viewed on a computer at the above community access points from 29 January until 19 March 2025. While access to computers at these information points is free of charge, the venues require visitors to show proof of identity to use an on-site computer. More information is available at www.wiltshire.gov.uk/libraries-accessing-computers. We recommend contacting the venues to check the opening times prior to visiting.

The Applicant will host public information events to provide interested parties with the opportunity to view the relevant consultation documentation and speak with members of the project team. The details of the consultation events are as follows:

These consultation events offer an opportunity to find out more about Lime Down Solar Park. Attendees do not need to register in advance to attend an in-person consultation event. To attend an online event attendees need to go to the Project website where they will be able to sign up in advance. Alternatively joining details can be provided by contacting the project team on FREEPHONE 0808 175 6656 or sending an email to info@limedownsolar.co.uk.

For further information or queries, please call 0808 175 6656 (free of charge); write to FREEPOST LIME DOWN SOLAR (no stamp or further details required); email info@limedownsolar.co.uk or visit www.limedownsolar.co.uk.

To obtain hard copies of the consultation documents

Hard copies of all other consultation materials may be requested during the consultation period by contacting the Applicant on FREEPHONE 0808 175 6656 or by email at info@limedownsolar.co.uk. Requests for consultation materials in an alternative format such as large print or audio for those with visual impairments or in an alternative language for those who do not speak English as their first language will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Requests for multiple copies of these documents will be considered on a case-by-case basis and a reasonable charge may apply to cover printing and postage costs.

Requests for a printed hard copy of the PEIR will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

To cover printing and postage costs, a charge of up to £4,874.00 may apply. (The charge will be calculated based on cost per individual volume requested as follows: Volume 1 - Main Report, £896.00; Volume Two - Figures, £700.00 and Volume Three - Appendices, £3,278.00).

Have your say

Feedback can be provided through the consultation feedback form on the Applicant’s website at www.limedownsolar.co.uk. Hardcopy feedback forms will also be available at the community access points listed above and at the in-person public information events taking place.

The consultation feedback form, responses to the consultation or other representations in respect of Lime Down Solar Park can also be sent to the Applicant by email to info@limedownsolar.co.uk or by post to FREEPOST Lime Down Solar (no stamp or further details required).

Any response or representation in respect of the proposed DCO application must be received by the Applicant on or before 23.59 on Wednesday 19 March 2025.

The Applicant will consider and have regard to all responses to consultation and publicity when developing its DCO application. Individual responses may be made publicly available, or made available to the Secretary of State, the Planning Inspectorate and other relevant statutory authorities, in accordance with the requirements of the Planning Act 2008 and data protection legislation.

Respondents do not have to provide any personal information, but this information will help the Applicant to understand the range of responses and enable the Applicant to send you further information relating to the Lime Down Solar Park. Personal information will be kept confidential where possible. Please refer to our Privacy Notice for more details: www.limedownsolar.co.uk/privacy-policy.