A rendering of the proposed layout for the now-approved Welby Solar project.

Island Green Power has announced that it has been granted permission to develop the 46MW Welby Solar Farm in Lincolnshire.

The project will be situated on 19 acres of land 1.5km north of the town of Welby, with additional land dedicated to biodiversity enhancements, including the creation of a habitat for skylarks. Planning permission has also been granted for a co-located battery energy storage system (BESS) onsite, although Island Green Power has not revealed what size they wish to make any potential onsite BESS.

Biodiversity was a key concern for the project developers, and much has been set out in the plan to boost biodiversity in the area. The finalised project will result in a gain in watercourse units of 52.58%, as well as a 19.87% increase in hedgerow units and a 21.21% gain in habitat units. A timeline for when construction will begin has not yet been announced.

Sam Aitchison, project manager for Welby Solar Farm, said: “We are grateful to everyone who took part in the planning process for their comments and feedback, which we used to refine our plans. We will continue to liaise closely with South Kesteven and local residents to ensure the project is delivered in the best possible way.”

Dave Elvin, chief development officer at Island Green Power, added: “Welby will build on our strong track record of delivering projects that make a genuine difference to sustainability, supporting the UK’s transition to clean, home-grown, renewable energy.”

Another success for Island Green Power

The news comes just weeks after Island Green Power was granted a development consent order (DCO) for a solar nationally significant infrastructure project (NSIP), the West Burton Solar PV power plant. Also set to be located in Lincolnshire, with some of the project straddling the border into the neighbouring county of Nottinghamshire, the project has a proposed generation capacity of 480MW. The development will be spread across several parcels of land, all of which will connect to an existing substation at West Burton Power Station.

The project has been in development since 2021, with Island Green Power submitting an application for a DCO in March 2023 and the formal examination of the proposal concluding in May 2024. The company has not yet revealed when construction could begin on the West Burton Solar project, or provided any expected grid connection date.