Motorway Service Area, Burghfield Solar Farm (5 MW)
Motorway Service Area, Burghfield Solar Farm is a 5 MW solar farm project in West Berkshire, England. Its status in the Renewable Energy Planning Database (July 2026 extract) is: approved on 19 September 2025, not yet built; the record was last updated on 28 October 2025.
5 MWsolar farm
approved, not builtstatus in REPD
28 October 2025record last updated
West Berkshirecouncil area
Planning timeline
| Date | Stage |
|---|---|
| 28 March 2025 | Application submitted |
| 19 September 2025 | Planning permission granted |
| 19 September 2028 | Permission due to expire (unless work starts) |
Project details
- Technology
- solar farm
- Capacity
- 5 MW
- Status (REPD)
- approved, not built
- Record last updated
- 28 October 2025
- Operator or applicant
- Moto Hospitality Limited
- Planning authority
- West Berkshire
- Planning application reference
- 24/02801/FULMAJ
- Site area
- 3.8 ha
- Address (REPD)
- Motorway Service Area, Reading Services Eastbound, Burghfield, Reading
- Council area (by location)
- West Berkshire
- Time to decision
- 25 weeks
- Name in REPD
- Motorway Service Area, Burghfield - Solar Farm
- REPD reference
- 18559
The scheme also includes battery storage, recorded separately in REPD (approved, not built).
Earlier applications for this site
| Application | MW | Submitted | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Motorway Service Area, Burghfield Solar Farm 23/02980/FULMAJ | 5 | 25 January 2024 | withdrawn 31 July 2024 |
Who decides
| Applications | West Berkshire | UK |
|---|---|---|
| Decided applications (solar, wind, battery) | 33 | 10,236 |
| Refused | 7 (21%) | 19% |
| Solar refused | 4 of 25 | 12% |
| Onshore wind refused | 3 of 3 | 45% |
| Battery storage refused | 0 of 5 | 16% |
| Median time from submission to decision | 13.4 weeks | 17.0 weeks |
| Appeals lodged / allowed | 2 / 2 | — |
Other large projects within 10 km
| Project | Type | MW | Status | km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burghfield Road, Southcote | battery storage | 7.4 | application withdrawn | 1.5 |
| Pingewood Road South | solar farm | 15.8 | operational | 1.7 |
| Sulhamstead Solar Field - Stud Farm | solar farm | 5 | approved, not built | 2.8 |
| Bloomfield Hatch Farm Solar Farm & Battery | solar farm | 25.8 | approved, not built | 4.5 |
| Sheepbridge Court Farm | solar farm | 5 | operational | 6.5 |
| Solar Array at Spencers Wood Solar Farm Land north of Sheepbridge Court Farm Basingstoke Road Swallowfield | solar farm | 28 | approved, not built | 6.8 |
| Rushy Mead (University of Reading) | wind farm | 12 | refused | 7.9 |
| Bath Road, Grange Lane | solar farm | 12 | approved, not built | 8.2 |
| Aborfield Solar Park | solar farm | 14 | under construction | 9.1 |
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 (51.4262, -1.035).