PS Renewables and Ørsted, two established developers of renewable energy projects in the UK, have submitted their application for Development Consent Order (DCO) for One Earth Solar Farm. The Planning Inspectorate reviewed the application and has now accepted the application for examination.
“We are very pleased to achieve this important milestone for One Earth, and we want to thank everyone who took part in the consultations over the last two years to help shape the proposals,” explained Matt Hazell, Co-owner of PS Renewables.
The project now moves into the ‘pre-examination stage’ in preparation for upcoming public examinations. During the examination period, there will likely be a series of public hearings as well as written questions and answers, which will all be made public on the Planning Inspectorate’s website.
Randall Linfoot, Programme Manager for Ørsted said: “We are delighted to have had our DCO application for the One Earth Solar Farm accepted for examination. It is crucial for the UK that large renewables projects such as One Earth can be progressed as quickly as possible whilst also ensuring they are properly scrutinised.
Projects like this will be key contributors to the UK’s energy security alongsidebringing investment, low-cost electricity for consumers and helping meet global climate goals and net-zero targets.”
The proposals for One Earth have changed significantly in response to two periods of consultation over the last two years. The masterplan has been reduced substantially to remove panels from near homes and villages that are located close to the project boundary. Feedback on the environmental assessments has also helped shape the Environmental Impact Assessment, which is included in the DCO application documents.
