Solar Photovoltaic Farm

DLP Planning provided planning application support to OPD Energy Ltd for the installation of a solar photovoltaic farm on agricultural land at Moorside Farm, Grimshaw Lane, Lancaster, located to the southeast of Junction 34 of the M6. The application included for associated access and infrastructure which included substations, inverter station control room CCTC, lighting and perimeter fence.

DLP provided key inputs in relation to both highways and drainage infrastructure; access constraints associated with the construction of the development were significant and included a number of highways design options to accommodate the deliveries of the inverters, solar arrays and transformers. This included widening of existing narrow country lanes , new access roads across third party land, which included negotiation with landowners, and use of an existing accommodation bridge across the M6. This option included extensive negotiation with National Highways in relation to the structural integrity of the bridge, which included the requirement for a structural survey and Open Space Assessment. Further to the positive work undertake by DLP in negotiating a hybrid construction access routing strategy, planning consent was granted in 2022.

DLP is currently supporting OPD in discharging planning conditions at Moorside Farm and progressing a planning application for a 2km cable route form the site to the Lancaster substation. DLP is also currently supporting OPD Energy on a number of other Battery Storage System sites and Solar Farm sites in both England and Scotland.