Frodsham Solar wins development consent two days ahead of statutory deadline

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero granted development consent on 27 October 2026 for Frodsham Solar, a solar and battery storage scheme on Frodsham Marsh in Cheshire West and Chester, the Planning Inspectorate announced.

The decision was made by Baroness Curran, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, on behalf of the Energy Secretary's legal authority, according to the Inspectorate. Its project page had set 29 October 2026 as the date for the decision, so the order came two days early.

The site is about 500m north of Frodsham, the Inspectorate said. The consented works comprise solar photovoltaic modules and mounting structures, inverters, transformers, switchgear and control equipment, a substation, underground cabling on and off site, and energy storage equipment.

Rosie Vetter, Head of UK Development at Cubico Sustainable Investments, said when the examination closed: "I would like to congratulate the team on reaching this important milestone."

The application

Frodsham Solar Ltd submitted the development consent order (DCO) application to the Planning Inspectorate on 30 May 2025 and it was accepted for examination on 27 June 2025, the Inspectorate said. The examination ran for six months, with local people, the local authority and other interested parties able to take part.

The Examining Authority sent its recommendation to the Secretary of State on 29 July 2026. The Inspectorate said this was the 116th energy application of 184 applications examined to date, and that it was completed within the statutory timescale set by the Planning Act 2008.

Cubico announced on 5 May 2026 that the examination phase had concluded, and said then that it expected a final decision before the end of 2026.

Capacity and grid connection

The sources give different capacity figures. The Inspectorate describes the array only as having a generating capacity of over 50MW. Cubico's May 2026 announcement describes the scheme as designed to generate over 100MW, with a co-located battery energy storage system.

The developer's website says it already holds a connection agreement with SP Energy Networks for up to 100MW. The scheme will connect into the existing Frodsham Substation, it said.

Cubico said the project would create extensive habitats for wetland birds and introduce permissive paths.

Ownership

Cubico announced on 16 January 2024 that it had bought Peel NRE's 50% stake in Peel Cubico Renewables Ltd, a joint venture started in April 2021, taking full ownership. The Peel NRE renewables development team transferred into Cubico as part of the deal.

After the buyout, Cubico said it had a UK development pipeline with a collective capacity exceeding 350MW, plus a 1.7GW feasibility pipeline. Cubico's shareholders are Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan and PSP Investments, according to its website.

Local response

Frodsham Town Council set out its position in a July 2023 response to the developer's phase one consultation. The council said it had concerns about landscape and visual effects on the character of the area, and about the ecology of the site and nature conservation.

The council also said it was not clear whether there would be an impact on motorway traffic from glint and glare, and asked that any negotiated community benefit go directly to the residents of Frodsham.

The Inspectorate said the decision, the Examining Authority's recommendation and the evidence it considered are available on the project pages of the National Infrastructure Planning website, where the project is now shown at the decision stage.