Wiltshire - Development Consent Order Change Application for Lime Down Solar Park

Application for a Development Consent Order for the proposed Lime Down Solar Park
Planning Inspectorate Reference Number: EN010168.
NOTICE UNDER REGULATION 7 AND 8 OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING
(COMPULSORY ACQUISITION) REGULATIONS 2010

 

1. Notice is hereby given that the Planning Inspectorate, on behalf of the Secretary of State, has accepted a request by Lime Down Solar Park Limited (Company Number 13211532), whose registered office is Unit 25.7 Coda Studios, 189 Munster Road, London, England SW6 6AW (“the Applicant”) to include additional land within the Development Consent Order (“DCO”) application (“the Application”) for the proposed Lime Down Solar Park (“the Scheme”).

2. The Application was submitted to the Secretary of State via the Planning Inspectorate on 19 September 2025 and accepted for Examination on 17 October 2025. The reference number applied to the Application by the Planning Inspectorate is EN010168. The Examination of the Application is ongoing.

3. On 24 June 2026, the Applicant submitted to the Secretary of State c/o the Planning Inspectorate a Change Request which included a request for the DCO application to include authorisation for the compulsory acquisition of interests in and rights over additional land for the Scheme (the “Proposed Provision”), and this was accepted for Examination on 06 July 2026.

Summary of the Scheme

4. The Application is for development consent to construct, operate, maintain and decommission a solar photovoltaic (PV) electricity generating facility with a capacity of over 100 megawatts (MW) and export connection to the National Grid. The Scheme comprises:

• Five solar array sites, Lime Down A, B, C, D, E (collectively the Solar PV Sites) located in Wiltshire 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 PV Sites will include solar panels, conversion units, inverters, and up to four 132kV substation located in Lime Down A, C, D and E. There will be one 400kV substation located within Lime Down D;
• One Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) area, located within Lime Down D;
• A Cable Route Corridor within which underground export connection cables would be located to connect the Solar PV Sites to the National Grid at the existing Melksham Substation, as well as connecting each of the Solar PV Sites; 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.

5. The Scheme is located largely within the administrative area of Wiltshire Council, with small areas of existing highway within the administrative area of South Gloucestershire Council. The Solar PV Sites are located across several parishes:

• Lime Down A is located within the civil parish of Sherston, approximately 300 metres south of Sherston;
• Lime Down B is located within the civil parish of Norton, approximately 3 km southwest of Malmesbury;
• Lime Down C is located across the civil parishes of Sherston, Luckington, Hullavington, and Norton, approximately 830 metres east of Luckington;
• Lime Down D, which incorporates the proposed BESS area, is located across the civil parishes of Norton and Hullavington, approximately 480 metres west of Corston and 700 metres north of Hullavington; and
• Lime Down E is located within the civil parish of St Paul Malmesbury Without, approximately 150 metres northwest of Rodbourne.

6. A map showing the location of the Scheme can be viewed as 2.1 Location Plan (Change Application) (Rev 1) (Clean) [CR1-004] of Change Request Application, Change Request 1 on the Examination Library on the Planning Inspectorate’s website at the following link:

https://nsip-documents.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/published-documents/EN010168-001823-2.1%20Location%20Plan%20(Rev%201)%20Change%20Application%20Clean.pdf

7. Development consent is required to the extent that development is or forms part of a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) pursuant to sections 14(1)(a), 15(1) and 15(2) of the Planning Act 2008. It is for this reason that the Scheme falls within the remit of the Secretary of State’s decision-making powers.

8. The DCO, if granted, would authorise the compulsory acquisition of land, interests in land and rights over land, and the powers to use land permanently and temporarily. The DCO would also authorise alterations to the layout of streets, the construction of accesses to the Scheme, the temporary stopping up or management of the public rights of way, street works, removal of hedgerows and the application and disapplication of legislation.

Change Application and accompanying documents

9. The Change Application relates to the following changes:

• Change 1: An extension of the Order Limits at Lime Down D to allow the emergency access to the BESS to connect with the public highway;
• Change 2: Realignment of Solar PV Infrastructure within Lime Down C to allow Public Right of Way WT/SHER/18 to be realigned;
• Change 3: Update to the Works Plans to allow more flexibility in the detailed design of the interconnecting cable alignment; and
• Change 4: Removal of Solar PV Infrastructure from Lime Down C in response to feedback from the Cotswolds National Landscape Board.

10. The Change Application and its accompanying documents can be viewed and downloaded free of charge online in the Documents section on the project page of the Planning Inspectorate’s website until at least Friday 21 August 2026:

https://national-infrastructure-consenting.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/projects/EN010168/documents

11. The documents that will be available include:

• Change Request and Consultation Report, which includes a map of all proposed changes (including the location of the Additional Land) in Annex A;
• Supporting Environmental Information Report;
• Statement of Reasons (not updated but included for completeness);
• Funding Statement, which includes revisions to make provision for the Additional Land;
• Book of Reference, identifying affected land interests in the Additional Land;
• Revised plans to make provision for the additional land, including revised Land Plan; and
• A copy of the Draft DCO which includes revisions to make provision for the Additional Land.

12. An electronic or paper copy of the documents listed above may be requested from the Applicant by emailing info@limedownsolar.co.uk, writing to FREEPOST LIME DOWN SOLAR (free of charge; no need for a stamp) or telephoning 0808 175 6656 (free of charge). Subject to reasonable requests, these documents will be provided free of charge.

13. Requests for a printed hard copy of the full suite of Application Documents will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. To cover printing and postage costs, a charge of up to £5,000 may apply. For any bespoke document requests, please contact the Applicant using the contact details provided, who will provide the cost. Copies of individual documents are also available on request, and a reasonable copying charge may apply.

14. If you require alternative methods for inspection of the Application Documents (for example in large print, audio or braille formats), please contact the Applicant by telephone 0808 175 6656 or email info@limedownsolar.co.uk.

Summary of the Proposed Provision

15. The Proposed Provision seeks powers of compulsory acquisition in respect of additional land at the following locations (“the Additional Land”):

16. A map showing the location of the Additional Land can be found in Annex A of the Change Application and Consultation Report available here:

https://nsip-documents.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/published-documents/EN010168-001866-9.40%20Change%20Application%20and%20Consultation%20Report%20(Change%20Application).pdf

and on Sheet 4 of the Land Plan available here:

https://nsip-documents.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/published-documents/EN010168-001826-2.2%20Land%20Plans_Change%20Application%20(Rev%202)%20Change%20Application%20Tracked.pdf

Statement of Reasons relating to the Additional Land

17. In accordance with good practice as well as the requirements of compulsory acquisition guidance, the Applicant has continued to engage with interested parties, including affected landowners and stakeholders, since the submission of the DCO application.

18. Further details are provided in the Change Application and Consultation Report accompanying the application for Additional Land.

19. As the Additional Land required is small, no updates have been made to the Statement of Reasons forming part of the application for Additional Land. However, for completeness, this can also be accessed via the link provided.

Statement of Funding for The Proposed Compulsory Acquisition of Additional Land

20. The details of the Funding Statement submitted as part of the DCO Application remain relevant in relation to the Proposed Provision and the acquisition of interests in and rights over the Additional Land. The Funding Statement sets out how the compulsory acquisition of rights over land will be funded, and the same mechanisms for funding will apply to the compulsory acquisition of rights over the Additional Land.

21. An updated Funding Statement forms part of the Change Application and can be accessed via the link provided.

Environmental Impact Assessment Developmen:

22. The Applicant has reviewed and appraised each of the proposed changes in the context of the likely significant environmental effects previously reported in the Environmental Statement submitted in support of the Application, to ascertain whether any of the proposed changes, either individually or cumulatively, would give rise to any new or different likely significant effects, beyond those previously reported in the Environmental Statement.

23. The outcome of this work for each proposed change is summarised in the Supporting Environmental Information Report and can be accessed via the link provided.

Making Representations about the Change Application and the Proposed Provision for Additional Land

24. Any representations (giving notice of any interest in or objection to the Proposed Provision and/or the Change Application) must be made on the Planning Inspectorate’s Registration and Relevant Representation Form, which can be accessed and completed online by following the instructions at the relevant link on the Planning Inspectorate’s webpage:

https://national-infrastructure-consenting.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/projects/EN010168

25. If you require guidance, or other methods to obtain and complete a hard copy of the Planning Inspectorate’s Registration and Relevant Representation Form, please telephone 0303 444 5000. Completed forms should be sent to the Planning Inspectorate, National Infrastructure Directorate, Temple Quay House, Bristol BS1 6PN. The Application reference (EN010168) should be quoted in any correspondence.

26. The government guidance ‘Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects: How to register to have your say and make a relevant representation’ provides further information and can be accessed via the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/nationally-significant-infrastructure-projects-how-to-register-to-have-your-say-and-make-a-relevant-representation

27. Please note that representations must be received by the Planning Inspectorate by 11:59pm on 21 August 2026.

28. It should be noted that personal data, such as the name of persons over 18, will be published alongside a representation. If you do not wish personal data to be made publicly available, you should state why when submitting the representation. If necessary, the Planning Inspectorate will publish the representations with your name and personal data redacted. Please note that all representations submitted will be published on the Planning Inspectorate’s website and will be subject to their privacy policy, found online here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/planning-inspectorate-privacy-notices/customer-privacy-notice

Contacting the Applicant

29. To contact the Applicant for further information or queries about the Application, 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.