FVS Dean Moor Ltd is a joint venture formed by two renewable energy development specialists: Firma Energy Ltd and ib vogt UK Ltd.

Firma Energy

Founded in 2021 by Rufus Salter and Andrew Jones, Firma is an independent management owned business, based in Leeds. The business has a focus on creating and delivering value from renewable energy developments with environmental and social benefits.

Across the UK Firma currently has projects totalling over 1800 MW in development, including 300 MW of solar.

Ib Vogt

ib vogt (IBV) is a leading developer specialising in utility-scale infrastructure for solar photovoltaic (PV) farms and Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS). With a 20-year history of global expertise, we have been a significant player in the UK solar industry, holding the position of the second-largest solar developer in the country from 2012 to 2017 and with over 40GW of development projects in the pipeline globally.

At ib vogt we are committed to sustainable energy and high-quality local development, a commitment solidified by our participation in the UN Global Compact. With over 490MWp of solar operations in the UK our projects are designed and delivered with consideration for communities at their core. Through transparent communication and investment in local employment, we strive to empower local resilience while addressing the global challenges of climate change. Our focus on development and engineering excellence supports our mission to create a greener future through renewable energy solutions.

Dean Moor Solar Farm would comprise the construction, operation, maintenance and decommissioning of a grid connected solar farm.

NSIP stands for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project. It is a type of infrastructure project that is considered to be of national significance. These projects require special a planning and approval process to be granted a Development Consent Order under the Planning Act 2008.

Owing to the wide range of projects which can be considered NSIPs, there are different thresholds which determine when a project is ‘Nationally Significant’. In the UK, any solar farm which has a capacity of over 50MW is automatically considered an NSIP, irrespective of the size of the site itself.

The site will cover approximately 279.5 hectares (691 acres) of land. The site is located within the administrative district of Cumberland Council, approximately 6 km south east of Workington town centre, close to the villages of Gilgarran and Branthwaite Edge. However, the actual solar farm will not occupy the entire 280 ha site, as portions of it are made up of existing roads and tracks. Large areas will be further dedicated to landscape and ecological enhancement.

Dean Moor solar farm would have a capacity of up to 150MW of renewable energy – enough to power over 50,000 typical family homes per year (Based upon average domestic electricity consumption per home (temperature corrected) as per Energy Consumption in the UK (published September 2021, Table C9 of ECUK: Consumption data tables).

During the earlier community consultation, a topic of particular local interest was the public access routes which cross the northern half of the Site but have not been formalised as Public Rights of Way (‘PRoW’). The design of the Proposed Development accounts for the possibility that these routes may become PRoW and be added to the Definitive Map in the future. It is anticipated two permissive paths will be established within the Site to provide a recreational route in the north and new linkage between existing Gilgarran Road and Dean Cross Road.

The solar farm is a temporary development and will not change the land classification from agricultural greenfield to commercial/industrial brownfield. It will remain agricultural land when the solar farm has been decommissioned and the consent will require the land to be restored to sole agricultural use.

The site is lower quality agricultural land and is used for sheep grazing. The solar farm will be a temporary farm diversification that does not remove the land from agricultural use. The site will be maintained by low-intensity sheep grazing, allowing for continued co-located pastoral farming without any loss of agricultural land. The lower intensity pastoral use combined with ecological enhancements will allow the land to rest. This will lead to improvement in the soil structure and nutrient levels when the site is returned to full agricultural use at the end of the solar farm’s temporary lifespan.

According to Solar Energy UK, the UK has 59 million acres of land, with 45 million in agricultural production. Each 10GW of solar would only use 60,000 acres or 0.1% of overall UK land area. The National Farmers’ Union and BRE National Solar Centre have published these guidelines: BRE (2014) Argicultural Good Practice Guidance for Solar Farms.

The solar farm provides the opportunity to keep the land free from intensive farming practices and chemicals, allowing species to thrive and soil quality to improve. A biodiversity net-gain will be achieved by new and improved hedgerow, set-aside ecological enhancement areas, and tree planting. These enhancements will include:

• The cultivation of a species rich wildflower meadow grassland to support bees, butterflies, and other pollinators.

• The improvement of existing grazing meadow habitats and expansion of existing acid grasslands as an ecology important priority habitat in the area.

• Enhancing existing hedgerows to be species-rich and planting new native species rich hedgerows interspersed with trees. Along with screening, the new hedging will increase boundary connectivity and foraging opportunities for bats and other wildlife.

• The provision of bird and bat boxes located within existing hedgerows and on mature trees, invertebrate boxes in various habitats, including near hedgerows and within grassland, and amphibian / reptile hibernacula located in the wildflower meadow grassland.The protection of watercourses and targeted waterside vegetation planting to support water habitats and benefit local water quality.

• The introduction of native trees and expansion and diversification of areas of woodland within and around the site.

• Species rich grassland ground coverage to be managed organically through low intensity sheep grazing to promote biodiversity and soil carbon sequestration value while avoiding the loss of agricultural land.

• We anticipate that these measures will result in a biodiversity net gain beyond the government’s 10% target across the entire site.

Research has shown that provided vegetated ground cover is maintained a solar farm has no impact on surface water flood risk. In fact, improvements to ground cover compared to intensive grazing use and other planting can help improve runoff conditions and water quality.

Although solar farm sites are large, typically less than 4% has any disturbance beyond the topsoil – in other words, most are built as temporary structures with very little ground impact. Gaps between each panel prevents concentrated flows of rainwater, and ensures that grass is able to grow under the arrays and between rows, acting like natural filter strips. For ancillary buildings permanent foundations are avoided as much as possible and all buildings have targeted Sustainable Urban Drainage (SuDs) to help ensure rainfall runoff follows existing greenfield runoffs (such as streams or drainage ditches), preventing any increase in flood risk to the site or elsewhere.

The Flood Risk Assessment (FRA) will focus on evaluating drainage and flood risks extensively. The goal is to demonstrate that thorough assessments have been carried out and appropriate mitigation measures have been put in place to avoid any net increase in water runoff from the site. Where possible measures will also be included to help improve site drainage and downstream water quality.

The design of the site will prioritise minimising its visibility from surrounding areas. The panels will be situated at a relatively low height, ensuring that a significant portion of the site remains hidden from view in nearby residential areas and surrounding villages. To further address any potential visual impact, a comprehensive Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA) will be conducted, considering the overall visual effects.

Mitigation measures will be implemented to enhance screening and reduce visibility from local roads and villages. These measures may include additional screening planting and improving the existing hedgerows throughout the site, further improving the overall visual integration of the project with its surroundings.

A Transport Assessment will be carried out, which fully considers the local network capacity and safety. The site will be managed by a Construction Traffic Management Plan (CTMP), which will include appropriate measures such as a HGV booking system and restrictions on times when traffic can arrive on site to avoid impacts on the local network, such as by avoiding rush hour or peak school times. Requirements will also be informed by engagement with the Local Highways Authority and feedback from local people during the public engagement phase.

It is anticipated that primary construction would take approximately 18 months to two years.

If the proposals are successful it is anticipated that construction could begin in 2026. However, construction start dates will follow timeframes agreed with Electricity Northwest (ENW), as the development includes new grid infrastructure. Other factors, such as supply chain constraints, can also impact on these timeframes.

As an NSIP, the project requires a specific type of consent called "development consent," which follows procedures outlined in the Planning Act 2008.

If granted, development consent is issued in the form of a Development Consent Order (DCO). Anyone intending to construct an NSIP must first apply to the Planning Inspectorate for a DCO. The Planning Inspectorate reviews the application and provides a recommendation to the Secretary of State for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy, who ultimately makes the decision.

For more detailed information on the process, please refer to this link.

Solar farms are classed as temporary structures. A temporary planning permission for solar development does not permanently change the land use of the site, and in many cases solar sites retain an ongoing agricultural use while the solar array is in place. A temporary consent for solar development does not necessarily make a site more likely to be developed in the future – any decisions to change the future use of the site would be taken by the local planning authority in line with existing national and local planning policies.

Solar farms are only temporary for many reasons. One is that most of the equipment has a limited lifespan and would need to be replaced to maintain output levels. As renewable energy technology is moving so fast, the land required to provide 150MW of export to the grid will be much less in 40 years than it is now. It would therefore not be sustainable to dedicate more land than needed for longer than needed.

Another reason is that this is a temporary farm diversification strategy. After sustained rest during its use as a solar farm, the improved farmland can be restored to full agricultural use.

Finally, it is also very important for both developers and local authorities to time-limit consents, to ensure that solar arrays are properly dismantled and recycled, and prevent the land from being re-classified to “brownfield”.

Yes. Solar panels are (almost entirely) comprised of glass, silica, aluminium, steel, copper and plastic, which are recyclable.

Prior to submitting an application to the Planning Inspectorate, we will conduct an extensive pre-application community consultation exercise. This will involve various consultation elements, such as public exhibitions, mailings to local residents, website updates, and feedback forms, in compliance with the requirements of the Planning Act (2008).

To ensure a formal and agreed approach to consultation, we will work closely with the local authorities, namely Cumberland Council. This will involve developing and publishing a Statement of Community Consultation (SOCC) in collaboration with these authorities and relevant stakeholders. The SOCC will be prepared, consulted upon, and made available for public viewing during the autumn season.

Please view our Consultation page to find out more information on the consultation process and how you can participate. All relevant details will be accessible on the project's website and will be publicised through various communication channels.

The UK has declared a Climate Emergency and sent an intention to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2030. To achieve this, it needs to support renewable energy projects like this which can replace reliance on fossil fuels and improve energy security.

The new Cumberland Unitary Authority has reaffirmed their commitment to the environment and to fighting climate change, by putting it “at the forefront of everything we do – working to create a more sustainable future for all at Cumberland”. Dean Moor will help support the Council’s first Cumberland Council Plan (2023-2027), and their aim to “help the most vulnerable with issues such as fuel poverty”.

Dean Moor solar farm will also support “Britain’s Energy Coast: Masterplan for West Cumbria”, which sets out Cumbria’s unique assets of an unrivalled natural environment and a strong renewable energy sector. Dean Moor will help fulfil the Masterplan’s twin goals to “project a positive image to the world, and be recognised by all as an area of scientific excellence, outstanding natural beauty and vibrant lifestyle, which attracts a diverse population and visitor profile” and to “provide opportunities for all its communities, where geography is not a barrier to achievement and where deprivation, inequality and social immobility have been reduced.”

Dean Moor Solar Farm Ltd is committed to assisting the communities we work within. We have begun working with local partners in the community, to ensure we identify local projects we can assist with.

Following the first round of informal public consultation, we have sought to engage with additional partners and groups to enable us to provide a wider community benefits package which contributes towards causes, issues, and projects which public feedback has emphasised. This is therefore being done in addition to the initial £500,000 fund.

As well as engaging with additional partners, we are also looking to work with local groups, to provide more targeted community benefits packages to those living nearby and ensure funding directly for education and skills-based projects. While these discussions are still at an early stage, we expect to publicise our approach to our community benefit fund in greater detail closer to the submission of our proposals in Winter 2024. We look forward to holding further discussions with the local community throughout the statutory consultation period and beyond.

You can contact us via the Contact Us page on this website. Please do not hesitate to give us a call on 0800 041 8643, or send us an email at info@deanmoorsolarfarm.com.

You can also write to us at ‘FREEPOST DEAN MOOR SOLAR FARM’ (no additional postage or address is required).

We will be providing visualisations at the formal consultation events (please see the Consultation tab for further details). These will help visualise how the Site will look from different viewpoints.

No, there will not be any removal of existing woodland or trees.

There has been much discussion and debate in recent years over solar panels and whether they have any negative impact on public health. In response, a number of studies have been conducted, all of which confirm that there is no adverse health impact on those who work with or live near solar farms. This is demonstrated in comments from the Clean Grid Alliance who have stated that “contrary to common solar myths about harmful chemicals, the materials used to make solar panels are sealed and contained so they do not negatively affect the surrounding area. Solar panels contain a variety of materials, including silicon and different types of metals”. Similarly, the Committee on the Possible Effects of Electromagnetic Fields on Biologic Systems have said that there is ““no conclusive and consistent evidence [that] shows exposures to residential electric and magnetic fields produce cancer”. Over the past few years, there has been a significant increase in solar panel installation on household roofs. In the UK alone, approximately 1.3 million homes have solar panel installations (Eco Experts, 2023). Again, there is absolutely no evidence that these installations have had a negative health impact on those who have solar panel installations on roofs.

No, solar panels have no moving parts and emit no sound. Inverters and transformers and the battery containers can emit noise, although this is associated with operational HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) which only operates within certain parameters. The solar inverter-transformer units themselves only have noise potential during daylight hours and because they are dispersed across a large area the noise doesn’t become a concentrated source. The battery containers are concentrated and have more impact potential.

In preparation for planning application submission, noise impact assessment work has been undertaken to identify the locations within the Site where noise generating equipment could be sited without having a noticeable impact for any nearby sensitive receptors. This is based on worst case assumptions of the maximum possible noise emissions occurring 24/7, and it assumes no in-built noise mitigation is included with the technology or that no additional mitigation (like acoustic fencing or new landscaping) is used. This means noise impact avoidance is being designed-in from the start and a final Noise Impact Assessment will be provided for examination with the Environmental Statement.

Solar panels are made to absorb light rather than reflect it. In the past, solar farms were associated with a glint and glare effect due to them being made of glass, however, modern solar panels are coated with an anti-glare technology because they generate electricity by absorbing light. Therefore, they pose minimal risk of glint or glare. Testament to this fact is the installation of solar panels at Gatwick Airport, alongside major roads and beside sports car raceways such as the ‘Top Gear’ test track.

Nevertheless, for full reassurance a Glint & Glare Assessment will be undertaken on the final design to provide evidence and reassurance as to the lack of glint and glare effects on sensitive receptors such as residential living space or road users.