UK Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has awarded planning permission to Evolution Power for the 100MW Stonestreet Green solar project in England.
A Development Consent Order for the scheme was approved today (23 October), well ahead of the scheduled decision deadline of 11 November.
The project includes ground-mounted solar panels to be built on land at Aldington near Ashford in Kent. Battery energy storage will also be installed.
Connection to the grid will be made at the nearby Sellindge substation.
The developer submitted the DCO application for review in summer 2024. The UK Planning Inspectorate completed its assessment in May this year, and subsequently recommended consenting the project.
Evolution Power director Conor McNally said: “Evolution Power welcomes the decision by the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero to grant a Development Consent Order for the Stonestreet Green solar project, following a recommendation to approve from the Planning Inspectorate.
“Stonestreet Green Solar will make a significant contribution towards the UK’s Clean Power 2030 targets, while also providing 99.9MW of co-located battery storage capacity.
“We look forward to progressing the project in due course.”