Upper Leigh Solar Farm (49.9 MW)
Upper Leigh Solar Farm is a 49.9 MW solar farm project in Staffordshire Moorlands, England. Its status in the Renewable Energy Planning Database (July 2026 extract) is: approved on 2 April 2024, not yet built; the record was last updated on 19 February 2026.
49.9 MWsolar farm
approved, not builtstatus in REPD
19 February 2026record last updated
Staffordshire Moorlandscouncil area
Planning timeline
| Date | Stage |
|---|---|
| 30 January 2023 | Application submitted |
| 2 April 2024 | Planning permission granted |
Project details
- Technology
- solar farm
- Capacity
- 49.9 MW
- Status (REPD)
- approved, not built
- Record last updated
- 19 February 2026
- Operator or applicant
- Lightrock Power
- Planning authority
- Staffordshire Moorlands
- Planning application reference
- SMD/2023/0059
- Site area
- 49.4 ha
- Address (REPD)
- Lower Tean Leys, Tean Leys, Lower Tean
- Council area (by location)
- Staffordshire Moorlands
- Time to decision
- 61 weeks
- Contracts for Difference
- AR7a
- REPD reference
- 13184
Recorded together with Upper Leigh (20 MW battery storage, application submitted).
Who decides
| Applications | Staffordshire Moorlands | UK |
|---|---|---|
| Decided applications (solar, wind, battery) | 25 | 10,236 |
| Refused | 8 (32%) | 19% |
| Solar refused | 3 of 15 | 12% |
| Battery storage refused | 5 of 10 | 16% |
| Median time from submission to decision | 28.4 weeks | 17.0 weeks |
| Appeals lodged / allowed | 1 / 1 | — |
Other large projects within 10 km
| Project | Type | MW | Status | km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tean Leys Farm, Tean Leys | battery storage | 70 | application submitted | 0.4 |
| Blythe House Farm Extension | solar farm | 16.6 | approved, not built | 2.1 |
| Upper Newton Farm (Blythe House) Solar Farm & Battery Storage | battery storage | 30 | approved, not built | 2.2 |
| Lower Newton Farm | solar farm | 11.5 | operational | 2.2 |
| Upper Newton Farm (Blythe House) Solar Farm & Battery Storage | solar farm | 27.7 | approved, not built | 2.2 |
| Totmonslow Farm, Upper Tean Solar Farm | solar farm | 19.8 | approved, not built | 2.3 |
| Solar Farm at New Buildings Solar Farm | solar farm | 40 | application submitted | 4.4 |
| The Fields Farm | solar farm | 5 | refused | 4.5 |
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 (52.9382, -1.991).