Surmer Hall, Church Walk Solar Farm & Battery Storage (36 MW)
Surmer Hall, Church Walk Solar Farm & Battery Storage is a 36 MW solar farm project in Braintree, England. Its status in the Renewable Energy Planning Database (July 2026 extract) is: approved on 4 December 2024, not yet built; the record was last updated on 20 February 2026.
36 MWsolar farm
approved, not builtstatus in REPD
20 February 2026record last updated
Braintreecouncil area
Planning timeline
| Date | Stage |
|---|---|
| 1 November 2023 | Application submitted |
| 4 December 2024 | Planning permission granted |
| 4 December 2027 | Permission due to expire (unless work starts) |
Project details
- Technology
- solar farm
- Capacity
- 36 MW
- Status (REPD)
- approved, not built
- Record last updated
- 20 February 2026
- Operator or applicant
- Boultbee Brooks (Renewables Rowley Hill) Limited
- Planning authority
- Braintree
- Planning application reference
- 23/02705/FUL
- Site area
- 32.0 ha
- Address (REPD)
- South Of Sturmer Hall Church Walk Sturmer
- Council area (by location)
- Braintree
- Time to decision
- 57 weeks
- Contracts for Difference
- AR7a
- Name in REPD
- Surmer Hall, Church Walk - Solar Farm & Battery Storage
- REPD reference
- 15400
The scheme also includes 22 MW of battery storage, recorded separately in REPD (approved, not built).
Who decides
| Applications | Braintree | UK |
|---|---|---|
| Decided applications (solar, wind, battery) | 34 | 10,236 |
| Refused | 3 (9%) | 19% |
| Solar refused | 3 of 25 | 12% |
| Battery storage refused | 0 of 9 | 16% |
| Median time from submission to decision | 15.9 weeks | 17.0 weeks |
| Appeals lodged / allowed | 2 / 2 | — |
Other large projects within 10 km
| Project | Type | MW | Status | km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water Hall Farm, Waterhall Road Solar Farm | solar farm | 35 | approved, not built | 2.6 |
| Cutbush Farm, Belchamp St Paul | solar farm | 50 | under construction | 9.5 |
| Broxted Solar Farm (Stradishall Airfield) | solar farm | 31.6 | operational | 9.6 |
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 (52.0513, 0.4638).