Waterditch Solar Farm (18 MW)
Waterditch Solar Farm is an 18 MW solar farm project in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, England. Its status in the Renewable Energy Planning Database (July 2026 extract) is: operational since 31 March 2016; the record was last updated on 16 March 2016.
18 MWsolar farm
operationalstatus in REPD
16 March 2016record last updated
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poolecouncil area
Planning timeline
| Date | Stage |
|---|---|
| 21 May 2015 | Application submitted |
| 24 June 2015 | Planning permission granted |
| 1 January 2016 | Construction started |
| 31 March 2016 | Operational |
Project details
- Technology
- solar farm
- Capacity
- 18 MW
- Status (REPD)
- operational
- Record last updated
- 16 March 2016
- Operator or applicant
- New Forest Energy
- Planning authority
- Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
- Planning application reference
- 8/15/0284
- Site area
- 9.5 ha
- Address (REPD)
- East Close Farm, Waterditch, Christchurch
- Council area (by location)
- Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
- Time to decision
- 5 weeks
- REPD reference
- 5315
Who decides
| Applications | Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole | UK |
|---|---|---|
| Decided applications (solar, wind, battery) | 30 | 10,236 |
| Refused | 6 (20%) | 19% |
| Solar refused | 6 of 28 | 12% |
| Battery storage refused | 0 of 2 | 16% |
| Median time from submission to decision | 10.6 weeks | 17.0 weeks |
| Appeals lodged / allowed | 0 / 0 | — |
Other large projects within 10 km
| Project | Type | MW | Status | km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christchurch Energy | solar farm | 18 | operational | 0.4 |
| Waterditch Farm Solar Farm & Battery Storage | solar farm | 49.9 | application submitted | 0.5 |
| Office Field | solar farm | 7.2 | operational | 3.4 |
| Solar Farm at Walkford Moor Solar Farm | solar farm | 15 | approved, not built | 5.0 |
| Parley Court Solar Farm | solar farm | 35 | approved, not built | 7.9 |
| Hale Farm | solar farm | 8 | operational | 8.2 |
| Parley Renewable Energy Park (PV) | solar farm | 5 | refused | 8.2 |
| Chapel Lane Parley Solar Farm Phase 2 | solar farm | 36 | operational | 8.4 |
| Chapel Lane Parley Solar Farm Phase 1 | solar farm | 20 | operational | 8.5 |
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 (50.7592, -1.7518).