Middlewich Road Solar Photovoltaics & Battery Storage (5 MW)
Middlewich Road Solar Photovoltaics & Battery Storage is a 5 MW solar farm project in Cheshire East, England. Its status in the Renewable Energy Planning Database (July 2026 extract) is: approved on 11 March 2022, not yet built; the record was last updated on 15 March 2021. REPD also records that the planning permission expired on 11 March 2025, so the project may not go ahead in this form. Check the planning authority's register for the latest position.
REPD also records that the planning permission expired on 11 March 2025, so the project may not go ahead in this form.
Planning timeline
| Date | Stage |
|---|---|
| 20 August 2021 | Application submitted |
| 11 March 2022 | Planning permission granted |
| 11 March 2025 | Permission expired |
Project details
- Technology
- solar farm
- Capacity
- 5 MW
- Status (REPD)
- approved, not built
- Record last updated
- 15 March 2021
- Operator or applicant
- Cheshire East Council
- Planning authority
- Cheshire East
- Planning application reference
- 21/4490N
- Site area
- 12.2 ha
- Address (REPD)
- Land Adjacent Councils Composting Plant, Middlewich Road, Crewe
- Council area (by location)
- Cheshire East
- Time to decision
- 29 weeks
- Name in REPD
- Middlewich Road - Solar Photovoltaics & Battery Storage
- REPD reference
- 8522
The scheme also includes 25 MW of battery storage, recorded separately in REPD (approved, not built).
Who decides
| Applications | Cheshire East | UK |
|---|---|---|
| Decided applications (solar, wind, battery) | 40 | 10,236 |
| Refused | 4 (10%) | 19% |
| Solar refused | 4 of 36 | 12% |
| Battery storage refused | 0 of 4 | 16% |
| Median time from submission to decision | 11.1 weeks | 17.0 weeks |
| Appeals lodged / allowed | 2 / 1 | — |
Other large projects within 10 km
| Project | Type | MW | Status | km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drury Lane | solar farm | 17 | approved, not built | 2.7 |
| Land at Moss Farm (South) | solar farm | 5 | permission expired | 2.8 |
| Land at Moss Farm (North) | solar farm | 6 | permission expired | 3.0 |
| Bentley Motors Ltd 1 | rooftop solar | 5.1 | operational | 3.9 |
| Leighton Hall Farm | battery storage | 20 | permission expired | 4.3 |
| Dragons Lane | battery storage | 12 | approved, not built | 5.6 |
| Land south of Wood Lane (Safeguard Bradwell) | solar farm | 5 | operational | 5.7 |
| Former EON Power Station, Booth Lane | battery storage | 20 | approved, not built | 5.9 |
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 (53.1122, -2.4163).