BOOM Power is pleased to announce that planning consent has been granted for New Hall Solar Farm, located at New Hall Farm in Overton, Wakefield, following a successful appeal against the initial refusal by Wakefield Metropolitan District Council. 

The project will have an export capacity of 22.2 megawatts (MW), making a meaningful contribution to the UK’s net zero and energy security targets. In addition to the solar infrastructure, the development includes landscaping and measures designed to enhance local biodiversity. 

The appeal process involved a detailed public inquiry, during which BOOM Power presented robust evidence of the project’s environmental credentials, including its potential for biodiversity net gain and alignment with sustainable land use practices. The planning application was originally refused on six grounds. However, prior to the inquiry, the Local Planning Authority (LPA) conceded that two of these were no longer applicable. Most notably, the LPA accepted that the site lies within the Grey Belt rather than the Green Belt, and therefore the “very special circumstances” typically required to justify development in the Green Belt did not apply. 

As a result, the key issues considered during the inquiry were: the loss of agricultural land; impacts on landscape character and visual amenity; effects on local Public Rights of Way; and potential impacts on a nearby Scheduled Ancient Monument. 

The Planning Inspector appointed to oversee the inquiry summarised her conclusions in the appeal decision notice as follows: “I give substantial weight to the contribution the proposal makes to renewable energy generation, addressing climate change and to improving energy resilience and security. 

In addition, I give significant weight to the biodiversity enhancements the scheme would provide, moderate weight to the economic benefits and limited weight to the educational benefits the proposal would provide. 

I consider that the benefits of the proposal are material considerations of sufficient weight to outweigh the harms I have identified. Consequently, in this instance, this justifies allowing the appeal. 

Mark Hogan, Founder of BOOM Power, commented: “We’re delighted that the Planning Inspectorate has granted consent for New Hall Solar Farm. This represents a significant step in supporting the UK’s transition to clean, reliable, and locally generated renewable energy. From the outset, we have worked to ensure this project achieves the right balance between energy generation and environmental responsibility, maintaining our 100% approval track record of planning approval. 

We remain committed to engaging with the local community throughout the development process and to delivering a scheme that offers long-term environmental and economic value. It’s a privilege to contribute to the UK’s journey toward a net-zero future.” 

Jack Spurway, Head of Planning at BOOM Power, added: “Securing consent for New Hall Solar Farm is a testament to the strength and integrity of the planning case we presented. We worked closely with technical experts to ensure that our proposal represented sustainable development. We’re proud to see this project move forward and look forward to continuing our collaborative approach as we progress toward construction.”