Following months of debate, as well as heavy protest from local pressure groups and residents, the Mallard Pass Solar Farm plans have been passed to the UK's Government planning assessor for consideration.

The Planning Inspectorate will assess plans for the 2175 acre solar farm proposed for land in Rutland and Lincolnshire (South West).

Mallard Pass is proposed for a fertile collection of fields stretching just north of Stamford and across Eastern Rutland, around the villages of Essendine, Carlby, Braceborough, Casewick, Belmesthorpe and Ryhall. If passed, this will be the largest solar farm in the UK.

The companies behind Mallard Pass Solar Farm have submitted their planning application to the Planning Inspectorate almost a year after initially proposing the build.

Canadian Solar and Wendel Energy have held two public consultations over the past year and the examination of their plans by the government is expected to begin in the New Year. The project is too large to be assessed by local planning authorities and is considered to be national infrastructure planning so it must be assessed by the governmental department.

However, residents continue to raise their concerns about the impact that a build this large may have upon the local environment and wildlife, as well as joining MP Alicia Kearns in voicing worries surrounding the ethical sourcing of solar farm materials.

Hear from one local army veteran in opposition of the build here.

The Mallard Pass Action Group have raised over £9000 of the £15,000 target they are gathering for full legal representation and expert advice to oppose the scheme. They have a GoFundMe page and are also taking donations direct. 

Rutland and Melton MP, Alicia Kearns, is also against the Mallard Pass project, having emphasised the scale of the build on her website and writing the the developers.

She said: "It would be eight times the size of the U.K.'s largest solar plant – the 250 acre Shotwick Solar Park in Flintshire. It's the size of 1,400 football pitches. It's so large that it can't be approved by Rutland County Council – it has to be approved by the Government as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project.:

Ms Kearns wrote to the deveopers on 23rd November 2022 (image courtesy of Alicia Kearns).

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