- Innova received planning consent to expand Blythe Solar Farm, adding 16.6MW to its capacity, reaching a total of 44.3MWp solar power and a 30MW battery storage system.
- The company secured planning approvals for the 22MW Ham Farm Solar Park and North Preston Solar Park, boosting its Somerset portfolio to 47MW.
- Labour’s proposed changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) emphasise the importance of renewable energy.
Innova, a leading renewable energy developer, has received planning consent from Staffordshire Moorlands District Council to expand its Blythe Solar Farm project. The new approval will boost the solar capacity by 16.6 megawatts (MW), raising the total approved capacity to 44.3 megawatts peak (MWp) of solar power.
The project also includes a 30MW battery energy storage system (BESS). In February 2023, the initial application, which sought approval for a 27.7MW solar photovoltaic (PV) array and a 30MW energy storage system, won unanimous support.
Rob Parish, Senior Project Manager at Innova, confirmed that the expanded scheme remains on track for energisation by 2027. “This expansion will significantly support Staffordshire Moorlands District Council’s goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2030,” Parish said.
Innova focuses on large-scale renewable energy projects. The company develops over 60 distribution network operators (DNO) and transmission grid-connected sites in the UK. These projects have a combined capacity of more than 18 gigawatts (GW).
Innova also received planning approval for two additional projects this year. The 22MW Ham Farm Solar Park in Taunton and another project in Somerset, North Preston Solar Park, will add to Innova’s Somerset portfolio, bringing the total to 47MW.
The Ham Farm Solar Park’s biodiversity strategy includes a Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) of 19% for habitats and 16% for hedgerows, well above England’s 10% BNG requirement. Earlier this year, Innova secured planning consent for three more solar projects, totalling 61.5MW, across East Suffolk, Essex, and Scotland.
The Essex project, Parkgate Farm Solar Park, faced some resistance from the local council. Braintree District Council could not progress the application within the extended timeframes, so Innova appealed to the Planning Inspectorate. The council had previously refused the application due to concerns over heritage and landscape impact.
The Planning Inspectorate supported Innova’s appeal, noting that the landscape and visual impacts remained confined to the site and its immediate surroundings. The benefits of generating renewable energy outweighed the limited effect on the setting of the listed building.
Labour’s proposed changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) recognise renewable energy generation as a vital national policy. The amendments suggest that the benefits of such projects, including national security, economic growth, and progress toward net zero targets, often outweigh any potential negative impacts.
Overall, Innova’s recent successes in securing planning approvals reflect the growing support for renewable energy projects in the UK. The company’s expansions and new projects will significantly advance the country’s renewable energy goals and efforts to achieve carbon neutrality.