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The number of planning consents approved for solar farms rose by 60 per cent last year as developers hurried to gain government subsidises ahead of an overhaul yesterday, experts have found.
Government data, analysed by law firm Pinsent Masons, shows requests for planning consent for solar developments from local authorities jumped from 208 in 2013 to 348 last year, and permissions granted increased from 133 to 220.
Pinsent Masons energy and planning partner Jennifer Ballantyne said there had been a “noticeable change of pace” in the solar industry as developers “rushed to get over the line” ahead of the 1 April cut off point.
“The competitive auction process means securing funding will be far more challenging for small-scale developers who may find themselves squeezed out. If they don’t have sufficient capital upfront they may find it impossible to develop assets fully, so will need to either sell-out or partner with large funds,” she added.
“We’re expecting a transformation in the solar industry which will alter the profile of prominent developers across the UK.”
Last year, the government announced plans to scrap the green energy subsidy for solar projects above 5MW, in an attempt to temper what former energy minister Greg Barker described as ‘unrestricted growth of solar farms in the British countryside’.
A few months later, solar companies Lark Energy, Orta Solar Farms, Solarcentury and TGC Renewables, called for a judicial review into the subsidy cuts, but the High Court ruled that they were legal.
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