Project Updates

Planning Application Submitted - July 2026

We are pleased to confirm that the planning application for Cuckoo Hill Solar Farm has now been submitted to Melton Borough Council. The planning application has been validated and given the reference 26/00681/FUL. The planning documents are now publicly available on the Council's planning portal, and it has now taken over responsibility from ourselves for the process going forwards as the Local Planning Authority.

The Planning Officers at Melton Borough Council will now begin examining the merits of the scheme, including consulting with the local community and statutory consultees such as Historic England, the Environment Agency etc. As all consultation comments are submitted to the Council, we will be monitoring these on the planning portal, and reviewing if any additional information needs to be submitted or the scheme changed in any way to address any representations made.

As part of the planning application, the following planning submission documents have been submitted;

  • Planning application form and drawings

  • Site Location Plan

  • Site Location Plan

  • Site Layout Plan

  • Site Layout Plan

  • Transformer Plan and Section

  • Spare Parts Container Plan and Section

  • Perimeter Deer Fenceline and Gate Section

  • CCTV Camera Section

  • Temporary Construction Compound Location Layout

  • Internal Access and Site Access Track Section

  • PV Panels and Inverter Section

  • Cable Trench Details

  • DNO Substation Plan and Section

  • Customer Substation Plan

  • No Dig PV Panels and Inverter Section

  • Perimeter Substation Fenceline and Gate Section

  • Proposed Construction and Operational Site Access

  • Proposed Minibus Parking Area

  • Proposed Operational Site Access

  • Statement of Community Involvement

  • Agricultural Land Classification and Soil Resources Report

  • Arboricultural Impact Assessment and Method Statement

  • Heritage Statement / HEDBA

  • Archaeological Geophysical Survey

  • Archaeological Evaluation Report

  • Noise Impact Assessment

  • Solar PV Glint and Glare Assessment

  • Planning, Design and Access Statement

  • Transport Statement

  • Outline Construction Traffic Management Plan (CTMP)

  • Outline Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP)

  • Flood Risk Assessment and Drainage Strategy

  • Phase 1 Ground Conditions Assessment

  • Mineral Resource Assessment

  • Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA)

  • Illustrative Landscape and Ecological Management Plan

  • Ecological Impact Assessment

  • Biodiversity Net Gain Metric and Statement

This website will continue to be updated with the latest project information throughout the planning application process.

Project Update: Trial Trenching Works in April 2026

Following recent consultations, the Project Team has been carefully reviewing feedback from the local community and stakeholders. This feedback is helping to inform ongoing design development, and we will provide a further update on this in due course.

The site has been carefully selected and will deliver both clean renewable energy and meaningful environmental and recreational benefits. We will be delivering significant landscape and wildlife enhancements, strengthening connectivity for wildlife between the existing isolated spinneys around the site and re-establishing former woodland areas. These planting proposals were welcomed locally as part of our public consultation in November 2025, and as requested we are also exploring improvements to footpath connectivity, the provision of small parking areas for walkers and reactivating the use of the outdoor classroom facility in Berry Covert woods.

As part of the necessary environmental assessment and design process that inform the future planning application, we will be undertaking trial trenching works on the Site to provide more information to us on the type of archaeology that could be present. It is an exciting opportunity to gain a valuable insight into the history of this landscape as shaped by the earliest settlers to present day.

Trial trenching is a standard archaeological survey technique used to better understand ground conditions and identify any potential archaeological features. It involves excavating a small sample of the Site, typically around 2-5% of the total area, through a series of temporary trenches. These trenches are usually 25-50 metres in length and up to around 1.8 metreswide, although this can vary depending on site conditions and prior survey information [1].

All works will be temporary in nature. Trenches will be backfilled, and the land will be fully reinstated following completion. The works will not result in any lasting change to the ecology or environmental condition of the site, and farming will resume on the restored land.

These works are currently scheduled to take place on the 13th to the 18th of April 2026, with 22 trenches to be completed across the site. The findings of the trenching will be reported in the submitted planning application and will form part of a robust package of heritage evidence.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch via the project email address: Contact@cuckohillsolar.co.uk