South Farm Solar Park (40 MW)
South Farm Solar Park is a 40 MW solar farm project in Dorset, England. Its status in the Renewable Energy Planning Database (July 2026 extract) is: operational since 16 December 2022; the record was last updated on 21 December 2022.
40 MWsolar farm
operationalstatus in REPD
21 December 2022record last updated
Dorsetcouncil area
Planning timeline
| Date | Stage |
|---|---|
| 21 June 2019 | Application submitted |
| 25 June 2020 | Planning permission granted |
| 6 January 2021 | Construction started |
| 16 December 2022 | Operational |
Project details
- Technology
- solar farm
- Capacity
- 40 MW
- Status (REPD)
- operational
- Record last updated
- 21 December 2022
- Operator or applicant
- Voltalia UK
- Planning authority
- Dorset
- Planning application reference
- 2/2019/0850/PAEIA
- Site area
- 71.5 ha
- Address (REPD)
- South Farm, Field Dairy To Louse Lane, Spetisbury, Blandford Forum
- Council area (by location)
- Dorset
- Time to decision
- 53 weeks
- REPD reference
- 9360
The scheme also includes 10 MW of battery storage, recorded separately in REPD (operational).
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Farm (Spetisbury) | solar farm | 11.6 | operational | 2.1 |
| Mapperton Farm | solar farm | 24 | application withdrawn | 2.4 |
| Littleton | solar farm | 12.1 | operational | 4.0 |
| The Down House | solar farm | 5 | abandoned | 4.6 |
| Part Bushes Farm | wind farm | 24.8 | refused | 4.7 |
| Blandford Hill Wind Farm | wind farm | 12 | refused | 5.2 |
| Blandford Hill - EV Charging Station & Solar Farm | solar farm | 15 | approved, not built | 6.2 |
| Canada Farm | solar farm | 8.3 | operational | 6.7 |
| Dolmans Hill (Redbridge Farm) Solar Arrays | solar farm | 5 | operational | 7.5 |
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 (50.8132, -2.1415).