Barlings Solar Farm
(Formerly Dunholme Solar Farm)
Introducing Barlings Solar Farm
ib vogt UK Ltd is preparing to submit a planning application to West Lindsey District Council for a solar farm on land at Dunholme Road, Scothern, Lincolnshire, LN2 2UD.
The project would have a generating capacity of 49.9MW with the proposed development creating enough renewable energy to meet the annual electricity demands of approximately 13,500 homes. It would also offset approximately 8,100 tonnes of CO2e each year. This is the equivalent to the greenhouse gas emissions from 1,900 petrol-powered passenger vehicles driven for one year.
In partnership with National Grid, we are also proposing to build a substation to the south of Nettleham, accessed from Greetwell Lane. The substation is required to connect the underground cable from the solar farm to overhead distribution lines and deliver clean energy to the grid.
Why do we need to do this?
The Climate Emergency, cost of living crisis and the ongoing war in Ukraine have all highlighted the importance of energy production and energy independence. We urgently need to generate energy from new, low cost, low carbon sources and solar is the lowest cost and quickest to deploy of all energy sources.
In 2019, the UK became the first country in the world to declare a Climate Emergency. It has subsequently committed to reach Net Zero carbon emissions by 2050. The new UK Government wants to make the UK a “clean energy superpower”. As a key mission, the Government has committed to achieving a zero-carbon electricity system by 2030.
This proposal will provide wide ranging benefits, including:
It will assist West Lindsey District Council in reducing greenhouse gas emissions in line with local and national targets in response to the Climate Emergency.
It reduces dependence on foreign imported energy through the provision of domestically produced renewable electricity.
Careful consideration has been given to the development to avoid effects on landscape, heritage, or ecological designations.
A community fund will be established to invest in local projects and initiatives.
This is a temporary development, allowing the land to rest for a period of operation up to 40 years.
Decommissioning and full restoration of the site at the end of life of the development will be secured via planning condition.
The proposed solar farm will not require Government subsidy.
Size comparison of solar farms in Lincolnshire
Unlike other, much larger solar farms proposed elsewhere in Lincolnshire, this solar farm is much smaller and will instead be determined at a local level, by West Lindsey District Council rather than central government.
Who are we?
ib vogt UK Ltd is a leading utility-scale developer with a 20-year track record in the renewable energy sector. ib vogt UK Ltd is headquartered in London with a team of experienced engineers, project developers, planners and land and grid managers.
ib vogt is a leading solar developer in the UK and has built almost 500MW of solar projects across the nation.
Frequently Asked Questions
-
There is no evidence that solar farms have a negative impact on wildlife. In fact, wildlife thrives within the sites when managed sensitively.
-
ib vogt UK is committed to supporting the communities that host our solar projects. While community benefits are voluntary and not part of the planning process, we offer £400 per MW AC each year for the 40-year lifetime of the project, index-linked.
This support can be financial, in-kind (like solar panels or local improvements), or a mix—based on what suits each community best. Benefits begin once the project is connected to the grid. We welcome local input to help shape the most meaningful support for your community.
-
It typically takes 6-9 months to build a solar farm of this size. Site working would typically be Monday to Friday and Saturday mornings only.
A construction traffic management plan will be conditioned and subject to detailed liaison with the highways department post planning. Once the solar farm is constructed, monitoring will be carried out remotely by ib vogt, minimising visits by maintenance staff.
-
There is an urgent need to generate energy from new, and environmentally friendly sources, and solar power emerges as the most cost-effective and rapidly deployable among all energy sources. Solar power is already yielding tangible results. For instance, during the period from June to August in 2022, solar power frequently contributed up to 25% of the UK’s daytime electricity (according to the National Grid ESO carbon app). Even in winter, solar panel technology is still effective; at one point in February 2022, solar was providing more than 20% of the UK’s electricity (according to the National Grid).
Solar power is a core part of the Governments’ Net Zero target, and it intends to more than triple solar power capacity by 2030. Achieving this objective requires the deployment of larger scale solar farms as well as on the rooftops of industrial and residential buildings.
-
For our solar farm projects we require a nearby grid connection, a well-screened site that is consistent with planning policy and supportive landowners. Barlings Solar Farm offers all of these features.
-
The solar farm is a temporary development and will not change the land classification. An Agricultural Land Classification (ALC) study is currently being carried out to assess the quality of the land and inform the planning process.
-
It will connect via an underground cable along roads and/or road verges to a new substation to the south of Nettleham. No overhead lines such as pylons or telegraph poles will be required.
-
No, solar panels have no moving parts and emit no sound. Inverters and transformers can emit very low level sound, but these are sited away from houses and cannot be heard from more than a few metres away. A full noise assessment has been conducted for the site and the project design will include mitigation, if necessary.
-
The UK Food Security Report (2021) found that “the biggest medium to long term risk to the UK’s domestic production comes from climate change and other environmental pressures such as soil degradation, water quality and biodiversity”.
Solar farms currently account for 0.08% of total land use in the UK (Solar Energy UK 2022). The Government targets for a fivefold increase in solar would result in 0.3% of the UK land area being used by solar (Carbon Brief, 2022). This is the equivalent to around half of the space used by golf courses.
-
No, the proposed development will not include energy storage. The National Grid connection offer provided to ib vogt will not allow imports of electricity from the grid into a battery.
-
No. Public footpaths will be kept open for the full duration of the construction and operation of the solar farm.
Public Consultation Event
You are invited to our public consultation event which will be taking place on Friday 6th June 2025 at Scothern Village Hall, Main St, Scothern, Lincoln LN2 2UJ (3pm - 7pm).
We are keen to hear from the community, particularly in seeking ideas for a community benefit fund.
Project Timeline
May/June 2025
Pre-Submission Consultation
June 2025
Finalise Proposed Design
Submit Planning Application
Summer 2025
End of 2025
Planning Decision
Contact us.
Please provide your contact details if you wish to get a response.
Any information provided will only be used for the purpose of the planning application to the Local Planning Authority and will not be disclosed with any third parties.
Please view Alpaca Communications’ privacy policy here.
If you wish to contact us or require further information, please feel free to use the form (situated to the right) or by the following methods:
Email: Feedback@alpacacommunications.com
Freepost: ALPACA COMMUNICATIONS LTD