The Proposals
Find out more about Qualitas Energy’s proposals for a new solar farm, located on land near Burton Lazars, Melton Mowbray, LE12 2UW.
Our proposal for Cuckoo Hill Solar Farm would deliver the following:
Supporting the local economy: We are committed to employing local suppliers and contractors throughout construction and long-term operation, creating jobs and delivering tangible benefits for the local economy.
Powering local homes: The solar farm will generate enough renewable electricity to supply over 10,000 homes, equivalent to the population of Melton Mowbray.
Energy security: Projects like Cuckoo Hill Solar Farm reduce reliance on imported fossil fuels, protecting consumers from global price shocks, such as those experienced following the start of the war in Ukraine.
Sustainable land use: This would be a temporary development, allowing the soil to rest and naturally replenish during its operational period. After 40 years, the infrastructure will be removed, and agricultural use reinstated. If granted consent, decommissioning of the site is guaranteed as part of the planning condition.
Supporting local climate goals: Melton Borough Council declared a Climate Emergency in 2019. This project will help Melton Borough Council reduce greenhouse gas emissions in line with national and local climate targets.
Enhancing biodiversity: The project will deliver meaningful benefits for wildlife through new tree and hedgerow planting, and by creating habitats for important local species. These initiatives will form wildlife corridors, reconnecting fragmented woodland areas and restoring the landscape character lost to years of intensive farming.
Long-term land stewardship: The proposals form part of the Ernest Cook Trust’s drive to diversify value generated from the land, ensuring it is protected and enhanced for future generations.
Why this site?
High solar irradiance.
Benefits from existing mature hedgerows which will be kept and enhanced to help screen the solar panels.
Small woodland copses located around the site also help deliver visual screening and provide an opportunity for the project to connect these important wildlife habitats up creating new green corridors.
Farmland is marginal quality, none of the fields are classified as “best and most versatile agricultural land” meaning that there is an opportunity to help restore soil health through resting the land.
Uses just 3.8% of the Little Dalby Estate, with minimal impact on the Estate as a whole.
The public footpaths on the site are located outside the solar panel areas and provide an opportunity to enhance their condition, use and deliver better footpath connectivity in the local area.
Not within a protected landscape, heritage or ecological area, or high flood-risk areas.
In close proximity to the Melton Mowbray substation, which has spare capacity to receive the generated renewable electricity, and allowing grid connection to be delivered via underground cabling, removing the need for any new pylons.
Public footpaths surrounding the site are located outside the solar panel areas, providing opportunities to improve their condition, accessibility, and connectivity within the local area.
What will it look like?
The infrastructure will include Solar PV arrays, underground cable route, access tracks, security fencing, DNO substation, transformers and CCTV.
The development will include a fixed photovoltaic (PV) module system, with a tilt of around 20-25°. Solar arrays will be arranged in rows with gaps of approximately 3.5 m between each row. At the lower edge modules would be approximately 0.8 m from the ground and could be up to 3 m at their higher edge.
Landscaping including generous biodiversity enhancements are proposed to screen the development, and minimise impact on its surroundings. The scheme will also include other biodiversity and landscape enhancement measures to provide significant biodiversity net gain.
FAQs
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A significant amount of land within the Cuckoo Hill Solar Farm red line boundary will be available for ecological enhancements, enabling the land to not only regain its natural biodiversity, but also to improve it.
Enhancements may include creating species-rich grassland and wildflower areas to support pollinators, planting new hedgerows, and improving the density and diversity of existing ones.
Biodiversity net gain will be achieved by working with qualified ecologists to survey existing habitats and develop a detailed Landscape and Environmental Management Plan to guide and maintain these improvements throughout the project’s lifespan.
Recent research by the University of Cambridge and the RSPB found that solar farms in East Anglia host more bird species and individuals per hectare than nearby arable land, including threatened species like Corn Buntings, Greenfinches, Yellowhammers and Linnets.
More detailed information on our ecology and landscape enhancements will be available at our consultation event.
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Solar power plays a significant role in the UK economy. Beyond electricity generation, the deployment of both ground-mounted and rooftop solar creates a variety of local job opportunities, spanning installation, maintenance and manufacturing.
We urgently need to generate energy from new, low-cost, low-carbon sources, and solar is the lowest-cost and quickest to deploy of all energy technologies. UK energy production is also central to supporting long-term economic growth and resilience. Solar provides a low-carbon, renewable energy source that is both affordable and fast to deliver. It is therefore vital for strengthening the UK’s energy independence.
In addition, the project will directly benefit the local economy through business rates paid to Melton Borough Council, providing valuable additional income to support essential local services.
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According to the 2025 UK Solar Roadmap, the biggest threat to food security is crop failure due to climate change, and solar farms are helping to tackle this directly. Solar and farming can be complementary, supporting each other financially, environmentally and through shared use of land.
Supported by the National Farmers’ Union, solar farms provide a valuable source of diversification income for farmers. This can improve the economic viability of farming businesses and make them more resilient to climate change impacts. Many solar projects are designed to enable continued livestock grazing.
Recent UK Government analysis shows that even under the most ambitious deployment scenarios, ground-mounted solar would only occupy up to around 0.6% of UK Utilised Agricultural Land by 2030.