Birch Solar Farm & Battery Storage (40 MW)
Birch Solar Farm & Battery Storage is a 40 MW solar farm project in Colchester, England. Its status in the Renewable Energy Planning Database (July 2026 extract) is: operational; the record was last updated on 16 May 2023.
40 MWsolar farm
operationalstatus in REPD
16 May 2023record last updated
Colchestercouncil area
Planning timeline
| Date | Stage |
|---|---|
| 22 August 2022 | Application submitted |
| 20 March 2023 | Planning permission granted |
Project details
- Technology
- solar farm
- Capacity
- 40 MW
- Status (REPD)
- operational
- Record last updated
- 16 May 2023
- Operator or applicant
- Low Carbon Solar Park 22 Limited
- Planning authority
- Colchester
- Planning application reference
- 222151
- Site area
- 87.0 ha
- Address (REPD)
- NW/O Hardys Green, Birch Colchester
- Council area (by location)
- Colchester
- Time to decision
- 30 weeks
- Contracts for Difference
- AR5
- REPD reference
- 12101
The scheme also includes battery storage, recorded separately in REPD (operational).
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 | 1.8 |
| Birch Airfield | solar farm | 5.6 | operational | 2.6 |
| Layer Farm Solar Farm | solar farm | 49 | operational | 3.5 |
| Skye Green Solar Farm | solar farm | 15 | approved, not built | 6.4 |
| Wilkin And Sons, Factory Hill Solar Farm | solar farm | 6.2 | operational | 6.6 |
| Highfields Farm (Colchester) | solar farm | 12.2 | operational | 6.7 |
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 (51.8593, 0.7993).