Southlands Solar Farm & Battery Storage (24.6 MW)
Southlands Solar Farm & Battery Storage is a 24.6 MW solar farm project in Basildon, England. Its status in the Renewable Energy Planning Database (July 2026 extract) is: approved on 26 November 2024, not yet built; the record was last updated on 13 January 2025.
24.6 MWsolar farm
approved, not builtstatus in REPD
13 January 2025record last updated
Basildoncouncil area
Planning timeline
| Date | Stage |
|---|---|
| 6 April 2023 | Application submitted |
| 6 December 2023 | Refused by the planning authority |
| 16 May 2024 | Appeal lodged |
| 26 November 2024 | Planning permission granted |
| 26 November 2024 | Appeal allowed |
| 26 November 2027 | Permission due to expire (unless work starts) |
Project details
- Technology
- solar farm
- Capacity
- 24.6 MW
- Status (REPD)
- approved, not built
- Record last updated
- 13 January 2025
- Operator or applicant
- Enso Green Holdings Limited / Cero Generation
- Planning authority
- Chelmsford
- Planning application reference
- 23/00532/FUL
- Appeal reference
- 24/00035/REFUSE
- Site area
- 66.1 ha
- Address (REPD)
- Land South Of Southlands Cottages Runwell Road Runwell
- Council area (by location)
- Basildon
- Time to decision
- 86 weeks
- REPD reference
- 13677
The scheme also includes 57 MW of battery storage, recorded separately in REPD (approved, not built).
Who decides
| Applications | Chelmsford | UK |
|---|---|---|
| Decided applications (solar, wind, battery) | 15 | 10,236 |
| Refused | 5 (33%) | 19% |
| Solar refused | 3 of 9 | 12% |
| Battery storage refused | 2 of 6 | 16% |
| Median time from submission to decision | 32.3 weeks | 17.0 weeks |
| Appeals lodged / allowed | 3 / 3 | — |
Other large projects within 10 km
| Project | Type | MW | Status | km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rayleigh Spur Roundabout, Benfleet | battery storage | 150 | application submitted | 2.2 |
| Battlesbridge Bypass, Rettendon | battery storage | 100 | refused | 2.8 |
| Dollymans Storage | battery storage | 100 | operational | 3.1 |
| Nevendon | battery storage | 10 | operational | 4.6 |
| Nevendon Battery Storage Extension | battery storage | 5 | operational | 4.6 |
| Canon Barns Road Solar Photovoltaic Arrays & Battery Storage | solar farm | 49.9 | approved, not built | 4.7 |
| Rayleigh Transforming Station | battery storage | 10.8 | permission expired | 4.9 |
| Canon Barns Road Solar Park | solar farm | 8 | approved, not built | 5.3 |
| Great Wheatley Road Solar Farm | solar farm | 30 | under construction | 5.5 |
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 (51.6195, 0.5465).