Fernbrook Solar farm & Battery storage (49.9 MW)
Fernbrook Solar farm & Battery storage is a 49.9 MW solar farm project in Dorset, England. Its status in the Renewable Energy Planning Database (July 2026 extract) is: approved on 13 February 2023, not yet built; the record was last updated on 13 December 2022. REPD records the planning permission as expiring on 13 February 2026, but the project holds a Contracts for Difference award (AR5), so construction may have started. Check the planning authority's register for the latest position.
REPD records the planning permission as expiring on 13 February 2026, but the project holds a Contracts for Difference award (AR5), so construction may have started.
Planning timeline
| Date | Stage |
|---|---|
| 2 July 2021 | Application submitted |
| 25 January 2022 | Refused by the planning authority |
| 14 June 2022 | Appeal lodged |
| 13 February 2023 | Planning permission granted |
| 13 February 2023 | Appeal allowed |
| 13 February 2026 | Permission expired |
Project details
- Technology
- solar farm
- Capacity
- 49.9 MW
- Status (REPD)
- approved, not built
- Record last updated
- 13 December 2022
- Operator or applicant
- Low Carbon UK Solar Investment Company Limited
- Planning authority
- Dorset
- Planning application reference
- P/FUL/2021/02046
- Appeal reference
- APP/D1265/W/22/3300299
- Site area
- 39.1 ha
- Address (REPD)
- Park Farm Access To Park Farm Gillingham
- Council area (by location)
- Dorset
- Time to decision
- 84 weeks
- Contracts for Difference
- AR5
- Name in REPD
- Fernbrook - Solar farm & Battery storage
- REPD reference
- 8505
The scheme also includes battery storage, recorded separately in REPD (approved, not built).
Who decides
| Applications | Dorset | UK |
|---|---|---|
| Decided applications (solar, wind, battery) | 125 | 10,236 |
| Refused | 23 (18%) | 19% |
| Solar refused | 15 of 105 | 12% |
| Onshore wind refused | 5 of 5 | 45% |
| Battery storage refused | 3 of 15 | 16% |
| Median time from submission to decision | 19.0 weeks | 17.0 weeks |
| Appeals lodged / allowed | 6 / 6 | — |
Other large projects within 10 km
| Project | Type | MW | Status | km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawkers Hill Energy Park | battery storage | 20 | operational | 3.4 |
| Shaftesbury Energy Park | battery storage | 100 | approved, not built | 3.4 |
| Motcombe Road, Motcombe Solar Pv Arrays | solar farm | 12 | application submitted | 4.1 |
| Land east of Littledown Business Park | solar farm | 6.2 | operational | 4.8 |
| Stour Row Solar Farm | solar farm | 12 | permission expired | 5.0 |
| Manor Farm (Dorset) | solar farm | 5 | operational | 5.3 |
| Higher Farm | solar farm | 11 | refused on appeal | 5.4 |
| Silton Wind Farm | wind farm | 10 | refused on appeal | 5.7 |
| Clapton Farm Solar Park | solar farm | 5 | operational | 7.2 |
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 (51.0281, -2.2549).