All project updates
10 December 2024
On 25 November 2024 the Secretary of State made The Cottam Solar Project (Correction) Order 2024 (PDF, 114KB). The Secretary of State has issued a Correction Notice (PDF, 177KB) relating to corrections to the Cottam Solar Project Order 2024. The Correction Order came into force on 26 November 2024.
5 September 2024
The Secretary of State has today granted development consent for this application.
For further information, please refer to the following decision documentation:
Planning Inspectorate’s notification of decision letter (PDF, 141KB)
Secretary of State for Energy Security & Net Zero’s Decision Letter (PDF, 587KB)
Development Consent Order as made by the Secretary of State (PDF, 3MB)
Examining Authority’s Recommendation Report (PDF, 10MB)
Regulation 31 Notice (PDF, 66KB)
22 August 2024
Responses to the Secretary of State’s consultation letter dated Monday 12 August 2024 (PDF, 116KB) have been published.
12 August 2024
Responses to the Secretary of State’s consultation letter dated Friday 19 July 2024 (PDF, 178KB) have been published.
Responses from the Applicant to the Secretary of State’s consultation letter dated Friday 2 August 2024 (PDF, 149KB) have been published.
The Secretary of State issued a consultation letter dated Monday 12 August 2024 requesting comments from Interested Parties and information from the Applicant and Natural England by 23:59 on Monday 19 August 2024.
View the request (PDF, 116KB)
Contact the case team if you have any questions regarding the process – using the project mailbox at CottamSolarProject@planninginspectorate.gov.uk.
2 August 2024
The Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero has today issued a letter (PDF,145KB) to the Applicant requesting further information.
The deadline for response to this letter is 23:59 on 9 August 2024.
On 19 July 2024, the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero issued a letter (PDF,178KB) to the Applicant, Natural England, Historic England, Lincolnshire County Council, Nottinghamshire County Council, West Lindsey District Council, Bassetlaw District Council, National Grid Electricity Transmission, National Grid Electricity Transmission (East Midlands) PLC, Northern Powergrid, Network Rail, EDF, Uniper, and LNT Aviation Limited requesting further information.
The deadline for response to this letter is 23:59 on 6 August 2024.
19 July 2024
The Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero has today issued a letter (PDF,178KB) to the Applicant, Natural England, Historic England, Lincolnshire County Council, Nottinghamshire County Council, West Lindsey District Council, Bassetlaw District Council, National Grid Electricity Transmission, National Grid Electricity Transmission (East Midlands) PLC, Northern Powergrid, Network Rail, EDF, Uniper, and LNT Aviation Limited requesting further information.
The deadline for response is 23:59 on 6 August 2024.
6 June 2024
We sent the Examining Authority’s Recommendation Report for the Cottam Solar Project to the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero on Wednesday 5 June 2024.
14 March 2024
The Deadline 6 submissions have been published.
The Examining Authority’s notification of the completion of the Examination (PDF, 134 KB) has been published.
The Examination Library (PDF, 1MB) has been updated.
7 March 2024
The Examining Authority’s notification of the completion of the Examination (PDF, 134 KB) has been published.
The Examination Library (PDF, 1MB) has been updated.
1 March 2024
We have published Deadline 5 Submissions.
We have also published the video recording and transcript for Issue Specific Hearing 6, Compulsory Acquisition Hearing 2 and Open Floor Hearing 3 held on Wednesday 28 February 2024.
The Examination Library (PDF, 1.1MB) has been updated.
27 February 2024
We have sent instructions for registered participants to join the virtual Issue Specific Hearing 6, Open Floor Hearing 3, Compulsory Acquisition Hearing 2 on Wednesday 28 February 2024.
You can also observe the Issue Specific Hearing 6, Open Floor Hearing 3, Compulsory Acquisition Hearing 2 online. If the livestream does not work, try refreshing your webpage.
27 February 2024
The agenda for the Issue Specific Hearing 6, Open Floor Hearing 3, Compulsory Acquisition Hearing 2 on Wednesday 28 February 2024 (PDF, 153KB) has been published.
13 February 2024
The Examining Authority's proposed schedule of changes to the draft Development Consent Order (PDF, 224KB) has been published.
The Examination Library (PDF, 2MB) has been updated.
12 February 2024
5 February 2024
The Examination Library (PDF, 1MB) will be updated shortly.
2 February 2024
Relevant Representations regarding the Applicant’s proposed provisions for the compulsory acquisition of additional land have been published.
The Examination Library (PDF, 1MB) will be updated shortly.
16 January 2024
Any comments relating to the Change Request must be made on the Registration and Relevant Representation Form and must relate only to the Applicant’s proposed provision for the compulsory acquisition of additional land as set out in The notification of the Applicant's intention to submit a change request (PDF, 2MB) for the respective changes. Any submissions that are not in relation to this, or are not on the prescribed form, will not be seen by the ExA and will be disregarded. Comments submitted after the deadline will also be disregarded.
16 January 2024
The Examination Timetable made provision for the Examining Authority, for the Cottam Solar Project, to issue a Report on the Implications for European Sites (RIES), if required, on Tuesday 16 January 2024. Please note that the Examining Authority has decided not to issue a Report on the Implications for European Sites as part of this Examination.
The Examination Library (PDF, 1.03MB) has been updated.
22 December 2023
The Deadline 3 Submissions and the Examining Authority’s (ExA’s) Record of its Access Required and Unaccompanied Site Inspections (PDF, 121KB) have been published. The Examination Library (PDF, 974KB) will be updated shortly.
Change Request Relevant Representation Period:
Following the Examining Authority’s (ExA) decision to accept the Applicant’s Proposed Provision for a Change Request (PDF, 216KB) for examination, comments are now invited on the Applicant’s proposed provisions for the compulsory acquisition of additional land by 23:59 on Sunday 28 January 2024.
Any comments relating to the Change Request must be made on the Registration and Relevant Representation Form and must relate only to the Applicant’s proposed provision for the compulsory acquisition of additional land as set out in The notification of the Applicant’s intention to submit a change request (PDF, 2MB) for the respective changes. Any submissions that are not in relation to this, or are not on the prescribed form, will not be seen by the ExA and will be disregarded. Comments submitted after the deadline will also be disregarded.
21 December 2023
Any comments relating to the Change Request must be made on the Registration and Relevant Representation Form and must relate only to the Applicant's proposed provision for the compulsory acquisition of additional land as set out in The notification of the Applicant's intention to submit a change request (PDF, 2MB) for the respective changes. Any submissions that are not in relation to this, or are not on the prescribed form, will not be seen by the ExA and will be disregarded. Comments submitted after the deadline will also be disregarded.
19 December 2023
The Applicant's Change Notification has been published.
The Examination Library (PDF, 962KB) and Examination Timetable will be updated shortly.
13 December 2023
- Issue Specific Hearing 2 and Issue Specific Hearing 3 held on Tuesday 5 December 2023.
- Issue Specific Hearing 4 held on Wednesday 6 December 2023.
- Compulsory Acquisition Hearing 1 and Open Floor Hearing 2 on Thursday 7 December 2023.
- Issue Specific Hearing 5 on the Draft Development Consent Order held on Friday 8 September 2023.
The Examination Library (PDF, 947KB) has been updated.
4 December 2023
Compulsory Acquisition Hearing 1 (PDF, 170KB) and Open Floor Hearing 2 (PDF, 173KB) to be held on Thursday 7 December 2023 and Issue Specific Hearing 5 (PDF, 253KB) to be held on Friday 8 December 2023 at the West Hall, Epic Centre, Lincolnshire Showground, Grange-de-Lings, Lincoln, LN2 2NA. Joining Instructions for virtual attendance at these hearings will be provided in advance of the event.
A livestream of these hearings will be available at https://cvslivestream.co.uk/cottamsolar/ during each event. Please note that the event will start broadcasting LIVE when opened by the Examining Authority. If the Livestream does not initially work, it may be resolved by refreshing the webpage.
30 November 2023
Please note that the publication of the Applicant’s Change Notification does not indicate that the proposed changes to the application has been accepted for examination by the Examining Authority. In the meantime, any comments/ responses about the merits of the application should be made in respect of the application as originally submitted.
Agendas for the following hearings due to take place have been published:
Issue Specific Hearing 2 (PDF, 253) and Issue Specific Hearing 3 (PDF, 253) to be held on Tuesday 5 December 2023 and Issue Specific Hearing 4 (PDF, 253KB) to be held on Wednesday 6 December 2023 at the West Lindsey District Council Offices, Guildhall, Marshall’s Yard, Gainsborough, DN21 2NA.
Compulsory Acquisition Hearing 1 (PDF, 170KB) and Open Floor Hearing 2 (PDF, 173KB) to be held on Thursday 7 December 2023 and Issue Specific Hearing 5 (PDF, 253KB) to be held on Friday 8 December 2023 at the West Hall, Epic Centre, Lincolnshire Showground, Grange-de-Lings, Lincoln, LN2 2NA.
No Accompanied Site Inspection is planned for the week commencing Monday 4 December 2023.
The Examination Library (PDF, 925KB) will be updated shortly.
29 November 2023
Agendas for Issue Specific Hearings (PDF 253KB), Compulsory Acquisition Hearing 1 (PDF 170KB) and Open Floor Hearing 2 (PDF 173KB) due to be held during the week commencing Monday 4 December 2023 have also been published.
The Examination Library (PDF 833KB) has been updated.
31 October 2023
The Examining Authority’s First Written Questions (PDF, 492KB) have been published. The Deadline for responses is Tuesday 21 November 2023 (Deadline 2).
The Examination Library (PDF, 840KB) has been updated.
25 October 2023
The Examination Library (PDF 660KB) will be updated shortly.
19 September 2023
Procedural decision following Preliminary Meeting.
15 September 2023
The Examination Library (PDF, 642KB) has been updated.
5 September 2023
Joining Instructions for virtual attendance at the Preliminary Meeting, Open Floor Hearing 1 and Issue Specific Hearing 1 will be provided in advance of the event.
A livestream of these hearings will be available at https://cvslivestream.co.uk/cottamsolar/ during each event. Please note that the event will start broadcasting LIVE when opened by the Examining Authority. If the Livestream does not initially work, it may be resolved by refreshing the webpage.
5 September 2023
5 September 2023
1 September 2023
Joining Instructions for virtual attendance at the Preliminary Meeting, Open Floor Hearing 1 and Issue Specific Hearing 1 will be provided in advance of the event.
A livestream of these hearings will be available at https://cvslivestream.co.uk/cottamsolar/ during each event. Please note that the event will start broadcasting LIVE when opened by the Examining Authority. If the Livestream does not initially work, it may be resolved by refreshing the webpage.
29 August 2023
Additional Submissions from multiple parties have been accepted into Examination by the discretion of the Examining Authority.
The agenda for the Preliminary Meeting (392 KB, PDF) has been published as part of the Rule 6 documentation. The agendas for Open Floor Hearing 1 (124 KB, PDF) and Issue Specific Hearing 1 on the draft Development Consent Order (160 KB, PDF) have been published.
The Examination Library (633 KB, PDF) will be updated shortly.
10 July 2023
The letter also includes the draft Examination Timetable and Initial Assessment of Principal Issues.
3 May 2023
27 April 2023
25 April 2023
A document has been appended to the Relevant Representation made by Patricia Mitchell.
The Examination Library (PDF, 596 KB) has been updated.
14 April 2023
- The Coal Authority (PDF, 109KB)
- EDF - Thermal Generation Limited (PDF, 349KB)
The Examination Library (PDF, 357KB) will be updated shortly.
13 April 2023
30 March 2023
16 February 2023
9 February 2023
30 January 2023
The documents have been published to help you become familiar with the proposal. There is no opportunity to make comments on the application at this stage.
If the application is accepted you will be able to register and express your views during the Registration and Relevant Representation stage and the subsequent Examination. Further detail on this process is provided in Advice Note 8.2.
13 January 2023
The applicant has agreed that all application documents can be published as soon as practicable to help everyone become familiar with the detail of what is being proposed in this application. The Planning Inspectorate will therefore make the application documents available as soon as practicable.
This provision is solely for the purpose of allowing more time to all those who wish to become familiar with the detail of what is being proposed ahead of the Registration and Relevant Representation period without lengthening the overall time required for the application process. There will be no opportunity at this stage to make comments on the application. However, if the application is accepted anyone interested in the application will be able to register and express their views during the Registration and Relevant Representation stage and the subsequent examination.