Birch Airfield (5.6 MW solar farm)
Birch Airfield is a 5.6 MW solar farm project in Colchester, England. Its status in the Renewable Energy Planning Database (July 2026 extract) is: operational since 29 June 2015; the record was last updated on 23 July 2015.
5.6 MWsolar farm
operationalstatus in REPD
23 July 2015record last updated
Colchestercouncil area
Planning timeline
| Date | Stage |
|---|---|
| 23 June 2014 | Application submitted |
| 16 September 2014 | Planning permission granted |
| 6 May 2015 | Construction started |
| 29 June 2015 | Operational |
Project details
- Technology
- solar farm
- Capacity
- 5.6 MW
- Status (REPD)
- operational
- Record last updated
- 23 July 2015
- Operator or applicant
- Push Energy/ NextEnergy Solar Fund (NESF)
- Planning authority
- Colchester
- Planning application reference
- 145133
- Site area
- 5.8 ha
- Address (REPD)
- ch Airfield, Blind Lane, Colchester
- Council area (by location)
- Colchester
- Time to decision
- 12 weeks
- REPD reference
- 2187
Who decides
| Applications | Colchester | UK |
|---|---|---|
| Decided applications (solar, wind, battery) | 24 | 10,236 |
| Refused | 2 (8%) | 19% |
| Solar refused | 1 of 19 | 12% |
| Battery storage refused | 1 of 5 | 16% |
| Median time from submission to decision | 13.3 weeks | 17.0 weeks |
| Appeals lodged / allowed | 2 / 1 | — |
Other large projects within 10 km
| Project | Type | MW | Status | km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Land Adjacent Claypits Farm (a) | solar farm | 5 | operational | 1.3 |
| Birch Solar Farm & Battery Storage | solar farm | 40 | operational | 2.6 |
| Wilkin And Sons, Factory Hill Solar Farm | solar farm | 6.2 | operational | 4.1 |
| Layer Farm Solar Farm | solar farm | 49 | operational | 4.1 |
| Highfields Farm (Colchester) | solar farm | 12.2 | operational | 4.9 |
| Skye Green Solar Farm | solar farm | 15 | approved, not built | 6.3 |
| Beckingham Road | solar farm | 10.7 | refused | 8.6 |
| Little Braxted Solar Park | solar farm | 15 | appeal withdrawn | 9.6 |
| Park Road Solar Farm | solar farm | 22.5 | approved, not built | 9.9 |
Status and dates as recorded in the Renewable Energy Planning Database (July 2026 extract); the database is compiled from public sources and can lag behind council decisions. Location: REPD grid reference (51.837, 0.7886).