British Solar Renewables (BSR) has announced that it has been granted planning permission for a new solar PV power plant in Braintree, Essex.
At a recent planning meeting, Braintree Council approved the 49.9 MW Knowl Green Solar Park for an operational life of 40 years. BSR attributes its success in obtaining building permits to a rigorous community consultation process, which lasted five weeks and resulted in notable changes to the proposed development plans.
These include removing specific building materials to minimize the impact of the construction on local traffic, as well as planting three additional rows of trees around the site to soften the visual impact of the solar PV power plant. Following this approval, construction will begin in early 2026, with the site operational within twelve months of the start of construction.
Biodiversity was also a key focus in the application of BSR, and the company has committed to a net biodiversity gain of 179.96% on the 49.7 hectare site. A community benefit fund of up to £49,990 will support charity groups in towns near the site.
Commenting on the development milestone, James O’Connor, Project Manager at BSR, said: “BSR is pleased to have submitted a planning application to Braintree Council following positive consultation with the local community. As part of this [development]existing habitats on site will be maintained and managed for the life of the development, something we know is important to the local community.”
An important year for BSR
As 2024 draws to a close, BSR is sure to celebrate a very successful year for the company.
At the end of May, BSR announced that it had been granted planning permission for its second site that year, the 21MW Park Farm Solar Park in Suffolk, having previously received permission for a similar-sized project in Suffolk, the Town Farm Solar Park, in January. Another planning success came in June, when Maldon District Council agreed to changes made by BSR to a previously rejected application and granted planning permission for the 19MW Dengie Solar Park in Essex.
That same month, the company closed its first portfolio financing facility thanks to a funding injection from Lloyds Bank and Commonwealth Bank of Australia, which provided debt financing for five assets built or under construction in Britain and Australia with a combined annual solar power generation capacity energy of 132 GWh.
