Notice is hereby given that the Secretary of State has accepted an application by Ecotricity (Heck Fen Solar) Limited (company number 13225224) of Lion House, Rowcroft, Stroud, England, GL5 3BY (“the Applicant”) for a Development Consent Order (“DCO”) under the Planning Act 2008. The Application (Reference No. EN010123) was submitted by the Applicant to the Secretary of State c/o the Planning Inspectorate on 15 February 2023 and was accepted on 13 March 2023.

Summary of the Project

The proposed Heckington Fen Solar Park lies within the administrative areas of North Kesteven District Council, Boston Borough Council, and, at county level, within Lincolnshire County Council. The Application is for development consent for the construction, operation and maintenance and decommissioning of solar photovoltaic (PV) generating panels with a total capacity exceeding 50 megawatts (MW) together with associated energy storage and grid connection infrastructure at the Bicker Fen National Grid substation (“the Proposed Development”).

A map showing the location of the Proposed Development can be viewed on the National Infrastructure Planning website at the following link: https://infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/wp-content/ipc/uploads/projects/EN010123/EN010123-000119-2.8%20-%20Location%20and%20Order%20Limits%20Plan.pdf

Development consent is required to the extent that development is or forms part of a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project pursuant to section 14(1)(a) and 15(1) and 15(2) of the Planning Act 2008, as an onshore generating station in England with a capacity exceeding 50 MW. It is for this reason that the project falls within the remit of the Secretary of State’s decision-making powers.

The DCO, if granted, would enable the acquisition of land, new rights over land and the imposition of restrictions that are required to construct, operate and maintain the Proposed Development. In addition, it contains powers for the possession and use of land on a temporary basis to facilitate the construction of the Proposed Development.

Environmental Impact Assessment Development:

The proposed works are environmental impact assessment (EIA) development for the purposes of the Infrastructure Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017 and accordingly an Environmental Statement (ES) accompanies the application.

Application form and accompanying documents:

The Application form and the accompanying documents, plans, ES and Non-Technical Summary (NTS) can be viewed and downloaded free of charge online on the Heckington Fen Solar Park page of the Planning Inspectorate’s National Infrastructure Planning website under the Documents tab: https://infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/projects/east-midlands/heckington-fen-solar-park/

The documents will be available to view online at least until the end of the Relevant Representation Period at 11:59pm on 9th June 2023.

The documents can also be accessed through the Applicant’s website from now until at least until the end of the Relevant Representation Period at 11:59pm on 9th June 2023: https://www.ecotricity.co.uk/our-green-energy/heckington-fen-solar-park

An electronic copy of the application documents can be supplied free of charge on a USB memory stick. To request a USB please email: heckingtonfensolar@ecotricity.co.uk or write to: FREEPOST ECOTRICITY SOLAR PARK or by telephone: 0800 151 0784. You can also contact the Applicant using these contact details if you have any enquiries in relation to the Proposed Development.

The application documents can also be viewed electronically at:

*Please note that opening hours are subject to change. Please check and confirm opening times with the venue if planning a visit.

The full suite of application documents can be made available in hard copy format on request at a cost of £5,000. For any bespoke or hard copy document requests (for example in large print, audio or braille formats) please contact the Applicant using the contact details in this notice. Copies of individual documents are also available on request and a reasonable copying charge may apply.

Representations

Any representation (giving notice of any interest in, or objection to, the application) must be made on the Planning Inspectorate’s Registration and Relevant Representation Form which can be accessed and completed online by following the relevant link on the Planning Inspectorate webpage: https://infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/projects/east-midlands/heckington-fen-solar-park/

If you require guidance on, or other methods of, obtaining and completing a Planning Inspectorate Registration and Relevant Representation Form, please telephone the Planning Inspectorate on 0303 444 5000 or email HeckingtonFenSolar@planninginspectorate.gov.uk

Completed forms should be sent to The Planning Inspectorate, National Infrastructure Directorate, Temple Quay House, Temple Quay, Bristol BS1 6PN. The Application reference (EN010123) should be quoted in any correspondence. The Applicant can be contacted on email: heckingtonfensolar@ecotricity.co.uk or in writing at: FREEPOST ECOTRICITY SOLAR PARK or by telephone: 0800 151 0784.

The Planning Inspectorate’s Advice Notice 8.2: How to register to participate in an Examination, provides further guidance on how to register and make a relevant representation and can be accessed via the following link: https://infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/legislation-and-advice/advice-notes/advice-note-8-2-how-to-register-to-participate-in-an-examination/

Please note that representations must be received by the Planning Inspectorate by 11:59pm on 9th June 2023.

It should be noted that personal data, such as the name of persons over 18, will be published alongside a representation. If you do not wish personal data to be made publicly available, you should state why when submitting the representation. If necessary, the Planning Inspectorate will publish the representations with your name and personal data redacted. Representations will be made public and will be subject to the Planning Inspectorate’s privacy policy at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/planning-inspectorate-privacy-notices/customer-privacy-notice