Three months late, but the application is now submitted

It was about a year ago when we first heard about the proposals to build an industrial style and scale solar power station on Graveney, Nagden and Cleve Marshes. We were told that a pre-application phase would lead up to a submission of the application in August. Following the huge amount of feedback the August deadline was missed and October was chosen as the new submission date. October came and went – and still no submission. But finally, yesterday, the submission was made.

From now on there will be a stricter timetable set by the Planning Inspectorate. We have a guide to the timeline on our site.

If the application is accepted, then there will only be 28 days during which you can register to be involved in the ‘Examination’. The examination will take place in the middle of 2019 but you have to register in advance. Watch out for this registration opportunity as it will probably happen over the Christmas break.

From the Planning Inspectorate’s website:

What happens next

An application for the above project was received by the Planning Inspectorate from Cleve Hill Solar Park Ltd on 16 November 2018. The application documents for this application will be published on this website in due course.

From the day after receipt of the application, the Planning Inspectorate has 28 days to review the application and decide whether or not to accept it. The acceptance decision on this application should therefore be made by Friday 14 December 2018.

If the application is accepted, we will:

• On the day of the decision publish the acceptance decision and the Adequacy of Consultation Representations received from the relevant local authorities.
• As soon as practicable after the acceptance decision, publish the application documents submitted by the Applicant.
• As soon as practicable after the acceptance decision, publish the date from which you will be able to register to put your case on the application (by making a Relevant Representation) and become an Interested Party.
• As soon as practicable after the acceptance decision, publish the date on which the registration period will close.
• From the opening day of the registration period (as determined by the Applicant’s notification and publication) make the Relevant Representation form available on this website.

If the application is not accepted, we will:

• Publish the decision letter and reasons why it hasn’t been accepted.

We cannot accept your views about this application until the registration period has opened. However, if you would like to find out more about the process in the meantime, please download Advice Note 8.2: How to register to participate in an Examination and/or refer to Planning Act 2008: guidance on the pre-application process.

From the developer’s website:

Cleve Hill Solar Park Ltd. submitted a Development Consent Order (DCO) application to the Planning Inspectorate on 16 November 2018.

The Planning Inspectorate has 28 days to accept the DCO application for examination. Should the DCO application be accepted, the formal examination process will then be managed by the Planning Inspectorate and individuals wishing to get involved will need to follow the prescribed process described below.

From the date of acceptance, individuals wishing to make a representation to the Planning Inspectorate will have 28 days to do so.

To give people sight of the application ahead of this time, the DCO application documents will be available to view on the Planning Inspectorate’s website via: https://infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/projects/south-east/cleve-hill-solar-park/ and also via our project website, as outlined below.

Any representations (giving notice of any interest in, or objection to, the DCO application) must be made on the Planning Inspectorate’s Registration and Relevant Representation Form, which will be accessible on their website at the point of application acceptance.

Details of how we consulted, including how we have responded to feedback, is included in the Consultation Report and its associated Appendices. You can view these documents in 5. Reports and Statements, Document 5.1, and 5.1.1.

A Non-Technical Summary of the Environmental Statement is available in 6. Environmental Statement, 6.5 Other ES Docs, Document 6.5.1.

If you require any guidance on the documents included as part of the DCO application, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

It’s time to start reading through all the application paperwork. There will be a lot of information and we need to take some time to absorb and understand it. If you have some relevant expertise and can help please get in touch.