Lower Newton Farm (11.5 MW solar farm)
Lower Newton Farm is an 11.5 MW solar farm project in Staffordshire Moorlands, England. Its status in the Renewable Energy Planning Database (July 2026 extract) is: operational since 31 March 2015; the record was last updated on 16 April 2015.
11.5 MWsolar farm
operationalstatus in REPD
16 April 2015record last updated
Staffordshire Moorlandscouncil area
Planning timeline
| Date | Stage |
|---|---|
| 25 April 2014 | Application submitted |
| 26 August 2014 | Planning permission granted |
| 1 November 2014 | Construction started |
| 31 March 2015 | Operational |
Project details
- Technology
- solar farm
- Capacity
- 11.5 MW
- Status (REPD)
- operational
- Record last updated
- 16 April 2015
- Operator or applicant
- Novus Solar Developments
- Planning authority
- Staffordshire Moorlands
- Planning application reference
- SMD/2014/0197
- Site area
- 23.0 ha
- Address (REPD)
- Lower Newton Farm, Draycott Road, Tean, Stoke-On-Trent, Staffordshire
- Council area (by location)
- Staffordshire Moorlands
- Time to decision
- 18 weeks
- REPD reference
- 2032
Who decides
| Applications | Staffordshire Moorlands | UK |
|---|---|---|
| Decided applications (solar, wind, battery) | 25 | 10,236 |
| Refused | 8 (32%) | 19% |
| Solar refused | 3 of 15 | 12% |
| Battery storage refused | 5 of 10 | 16% |
| Median time from submission to decision | 28.4 weeks | 17.0 weeks |
| Appeals lodged / allowed | 1 / 1 | — |
Other large projects within 10 km
| Project | Type | MW | Status | km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upper Newton Farm (Blythe House) Solar Farm & Battery Storage | battery storage | 30 | approved, not built | <0.1 |
| Upper Newton Farm (Blythe House) Solar Farm & Battery Storage | solar farm | 27.7 | approved, not built | <0.1 |
| Blythe House Farm Extension | solar farm | 16.6 | approved, not built | 0.2 |
| Totmonslow Farm, Upper Tean Solar Farm | solar farm | 19.8 | approved, not built | 1.1 |
| Upper Leigh Solar Farm | solar farm | 49.9 | approved, not built | 2.2 |
| Tean Leys Farm, Tean Leys | battery storage | 70 | application submitted | 2.4 |
| Solar Farm at New Buildings Solar Farm | solar farm | 40 | application submitted | 2.9 |
| Upper Leigh | battery storage | 20 | application submitted | 3.0 |
| The Fields Farm | solar farm | 5 | refused | 3.0 |
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 (52.9473, -2.0203).