Cobholden Solar Farm (49.9 MW)
Cobholden Solar Farm is a 49.9 MW solar farm project in Bedford, England. Its status in the Renewable Energy Planning Database (July 2026 extract) is: approved on 30 January 2025, not yet built; the record was last updated on 27 February 2026.
49.9 MWsolar farm
approved, not builtstatus in REPD
27 February 2026record last updated
Bedfordcouncil area
Planning timeline
| Date | Stage |
|---|---|
| 21 May 2024 | Application submitted |
| 30 January 2025 | Planning permission granted |
| 30 January 2028 | Permission due to expire (unless work starts) |
Project details
- Technology
- solar farm
- Capacity
- 49.9 MW
- Status (REPD)
- approved, not built
- Record last updated
- 27 February 2026
- Operator or applicant
- AGR Renewables
- Planning authority
- Bedford
- Planning application reference
- 24/00858/MAF
- Site area
- 110.0 ha
- Address (REPD)
- South & N/O Bushmead Road, Staploe, Bedford
- Council area (by location)
- Bedford
- Time to decision
- 36 weeks
- Contracts for Difference
- AR7a
- REPD reference
- 9479
Recorded together with Cobholden Battery Storage (100 MW battery storage, approved, not built).
Who decides
| Applications | Bedford | UK |
|---|---|---|
| Decided applications (solar, wind, battery) | 50 | 10,236 |
| Refused | 17 (34%) | 19% |
| Solar refused | 3 of 32 | 12% |
| Onshore wind refused | 4 of 4 | 45% |
| Battery storage refused | 10 of 14 | 16% |
| Median time from submission to decision | 15.9 weeks | 17.0 weeks |
| Appeals lodged / allowed | 0 / 1 | — |
Other large projects within 10 km
| Project | Type | MW | Status | km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Park Energy | solar farm | 400 | application submitted | 3.4 |
| Staughton Airfield Solar Farm | solar farm | 40 | operational | 4.3 |
| Abbotsley Country Homes, Drewels Lane Solar Farm | solar farm | 49.9 | approved, not built | 5.4 |
| Common Barn Wind Farm | wind farm | 6.2 | operational | 6.9 |
| Caldecote Manor Farm | solar farm | 5 | operational | 7.1 |
| Weald Farm, Cambridge Road Solar Farm & Battery Storage | solar farm | 49.9 | approved, not built | 7.7 |
| Vicarage Lane, Diddington Solar Arrays | solar farm | 35 | application submitted | 7.8 |
| Waterloo solar park | solar farm | 14.6 | operational | 8.4 |
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 (52.2168, -0.3114).