Canadian Solar and Windel Energy’s proposed 350MW solar project in England can now move forward to the pre-examination stage following the acceptance of a Development Consent Order (DCO) Application.
The Planning Inspectorate, acting on behalf of the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), accepted the DCO Application for Mallard Pass Solar Farm in late December.
In the pre-examinate phase the Mallard Pass Solar Farm project team are inviting members of the public to look over the DCO Application and consider whether they would like to submit a Relevant Representation to the Planning Inspectorate.
By submitting a Relevant Representation (a written summary of a person’s views on the Application), the person (or organisation) will then become an ‘Interested Party’ to the examination, receiving ongoing correspondence from the Planning Inspectorate on how to get further involved and having the opportunity to submit detailed written representations and attend and participate in the examination hearings.
Interested parties are invited to consider the DCO Application and the information provided in the Environmental Statement and other Application documents.
The Examining Authority will be appointed soon and will use the views put forward in the Relevant Representations to carry out an initial assessment of the principal issues.
All submitted representations will be published on the Mallard Pass webpage on the Planning Inspectorate’s website after the close of the registration period on 2 March 2023.
Mallard Pass Solar Farm Ltd is proposing to construct, operate, maintain and decommission a new solar farm near Essendine, partly situated in South Kesteven, Lincolnshire and partly in Rutland.
As the project will have a generating capacity of more than 50MW, it is be classified as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) and requires a DCO under the Planning Act 2008.
Mallard Pass Solar Farm is also an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) development for the purposes of the Infrastructure Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017.
This means the DCO for the project is accompanied by an Environmental Statement and Non-Technical Summary, which set out proposed mitigation measures, as well as how the project has changed as a result of environmental assessments undertaken and stakeholder feedback received.