Consultation
Overview of consultation stages
Public consultation is a crucial component of the pre-application process for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs).
We are committed to early and continuous engagement to ensure that the development of our proposals for Lime Down Solar Park is informed and shaped by community input. Local communities, residents, and councils play a vital role in this process.
The design process for the proposed development will be iterative and will be informed by feedback received during the two stages of community consultation that are planned for the project.
Stage One non-statutory consultation – March 2024
We held an initial stage of community consultation that ran for just over six weeks from 14 March to 26 April 2024.
The aim of this consultation was to introduce Island Green Power and the overall project, and share our early-stage proposals for Lime Down Solar Park to give people the opportunity to share their views and local knowledge.
Feedback to this consultation helped us understand those aspects of the proposed development which people want us to prioritise as we continue to evolve the design for the project.
You can find out more about this first stage of consultation here.
Stage Two statutory consultation – January 2025
Further to developing more detailed proposals for the project, we will carry out a second stage of consultation (‘Stage Two’) for seven weeks, from Wednesday 29 January to Wednesday 19 March 2025, with in-person and online information events anticipated as running throughout February.
This will be a statutory stage of consultation as is required by the Development Consent Order process for NSIP applications. This second stage of consultation will focus on:
Our updated design for the solar park, including the location of equipment.
The route of the underground cable connection between the solar park and Melksham substation.
Construction (how we are proposing to build the project).
The measures we are proposing to put in place to reduce the project's impact on the local area.
We will review our detailed proposals in light of the feedback received during this second consultation, along with the outcomes of ongoing assessments, to finalise the application for development consent we submit to the Planning Inspectorate.
Ahead of statutory consultation taking place we are working with Wiltshire Council to develop a Statement of Community Consultation (SoCC). This will set out how we engage with and obtain feedback from local communities and interested parties on our detailed proposals for Lime Down Solar Park.
As the applicant, we have a duty to demonstrate how we have taken your views into account in developing our final proposals for Lime Down Solar Park. The application we submit to the Planning Inspectorate will include a Consultation Report summarising all the issues raised in feedback to consultation along with an explanation of how we have taken views into account to develop our final proposals.
This Report, along with all the other application documents will be published on the Planning Inspectorate’s website should our application be accepted for examination. Register your details with us here to be notified directly when this information is available to view, and when more information on this upcoming consultation is publicised.
Further opportunities to contribute
The second stage of consultation will likely be the last time we consult on our proposals for Lime Down Solar Park before submission.
However, subject to the Planning Inspectorate accepting our Development Consent Order application for examination, you will be able to register your interest in our proposals with them. The Planning Inspectorate will then keep you informed about the progress of our application as well as further opportunities to inform and contribute to that process.