09 Jul, 2026 By Belinda Smart
The DCO application for One Earth Solar Farm has been granted development consent by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ).
Granted yesterday, 8 July, the scheme comprises the construction of a solar farm and collated Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) to support the generation, export and storage of electricity exceeding 50 MW. The solar farm will be the second largest in the UK – the Cleve Hill Solar Park in Kent is the largest, with a capacity of 373 MW.
One Earth Solar Farm is being brought forward in partnership between Perigus (formerly Orsted) and PS Renewables and would make a significant contribution in the fight against climate change.
The scheme will straddle the border between Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire covering 1,600 ha either side of the River Trent south of Dunham-on-Trent, near East Markham in Nottinghamshire
The application was submitted to the Planning Inspectorate for consideration by One Earth Solar Farm on 27 February 2025 and accepted for examination on 27 March 2025.
Following an examination during which the public, statutory consultees and interested parties were given the opportunity to give evidence to the Examining Authority, recommendations were made to the Secretary of State on 08 April 2026.
DESNZ said local communities continue to be given the opportunity of being involved in the examination of projects that may affect them. Local people, the local authority and other interested parties were able to participate in this six-month examination.
The Examining Authority listened and gave full consideration to all local views and the evidence gathered during the examination before making its recommendation to the Secretary of State.
Aecom and WSP are named in scheme documentation including One Earth Solar Farm Volume 5.0: Design Approach Document published in February 2025, with responsibilities encompassing technical engineering design across HV, solar and BESS engineering.
Construction is expected to begin in late 2027.
The consent comes as the government confirmed new planning reforms last week to scrap mandatory pre-application consultation requirements for major infrastructure projects, which will cut up to 12 months from the planning process and potentially save industry £1bn this Parliament. Delivered through the landmark Planning and Infrastructure Act these changes will come into effect later this month.
It also comes as government data published last month shows that 2025 was the strongest year on record for solar deployment, with 269,000 installations completed across the UK.
On yesterday’s announcement, energy secretary Ed Miliband said: “The only way to have energy security is if we take a pro-growth approach to building more clean energy in Britain. For two years that is exactly what this government has done.”
DESNZ said in a statement: “Global instability – from Ukraine to the war in Iran – has exposed the cost of relying on fossil fuel markets Britain does not control. Solar is one of the cheapest forms of power available for the country, and central to the government’s clean power mission to bring stability and lower bills, in an uncertain world.”
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