South Kesteven District Council approves solar farm in Spalding Road, Bourne

Planning permission has been granted for a 20MW solar farm to the east of Bourne.

South Kesteven District Council’s Planning Committee approved the proposal on Thursday afternoon (May 8) for the Limes Park Solar Park, put forward by Downing Renewable Developments LLP. The site is located on land next to Spalding Road.

The application sought permission to install solar panels and associated infrastructure for a temporary period of 40 years. It is one of four solar projects proposed on the eastern side of Bourne. About 0.5km to the southwest of the site is an operational 4.6MW solar farm, which was given planning permission in 2011.

In March this year, the committee approved a 28MW solar farm on Home Farm in Dyke Drove. A screening application was also submitted last year for a 5.5-hectare site at Northorpe Fen Farm, near Thurlby, although a full application has not yet been made.

Representing the applicant, head of development Tony Gannon told the committee the proposed solar farm would generate enough energy to power 5,000 homes per year, helping to meet national targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

He said: “This development has been designed with landscape, biodiversity and community in mind.”

Mr Gannon also said the company is a member of the Solar Stewardship Initiative, which supports responsible production, sourcing and stewardship of materials in the solar supply chain.

For improvements at the Grantham Meres Leisure Centre, South Kesteven District Council previously chose to switch its solar panel supplier to Leisure Energy Limited. The panels had originally been sourced from PV manufacturer Canadian Solar, which at the time was facing allegations of using forced labour in China—claims the company strongly denied.

Ward councillor Zoe Lane (Con) urged the committee to refuse the application. While she accepted the Home Farm solar farm plans approved in March had some merit, she argued this one did not.

Pointing out that part of the site is classed as Grade 2 land—considered very good quality agricultural land—she said: “Quite frankly, this is an insult and a waste of good food-producing land.”

However, committee members expressed support for the proposal, noting its relatively small scale compared to larger Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects, which exceed 50MW—such as Springwell Solar Farm and West Burton Solar Farm.

Committee chairperson Charmaine Morgan (Dem Ind) said: “I do support this application. It is a smaller size and we are, in effect, helping a farm to remain sustainable.”

Ultimately, the plans were approved with only one member voting against.