Osborne Clarke advises Ecotricity on the consent for The Heckington Fen Solar Park DCO

Ecotricity, the UK's greenest energy company, was granted development consent for its Heckington Fen Energy Park in January this year – a 500MW solar farm with battery storage in Lincolnshire.

International legal practice Osborne Clarke advised Ecotricity on the Development Consent Order (DCO) and has been supporting Ecotricity for over three years with a full-scale planning and consenting service.

The Osborne Clarke team was led by partner and head of energy & infrastructure planning Neil Bromwich and associate director, Josh Taylor.  They were supported in the construction, planning & infrastructure team by senior associates Arthur Hopkinson & Julian Wolfgramm-King, and associate Lauren Gardner.

Law firm TLT advised Ecotricity on the real estate aspects with a team led by real estate partner Matthew Grimwood.

The Heckington Fen solar park is now set to become a significant contributor to the UK's renewable energy landscape and power over 100,000 homes. Located in the heart of Lincolnshire, the site will house an impressive 500MW of solar capacity along with a corresponding 400MW of energy storage. This development marks a further step towards the delivery of the UK government targets for scaling up renewable energy generation in the drive to Net Zero.

Osborne Clarke's proficiency was instrumental in navigating the complex DCO process. The team advocated at various DCO hearings and provided support at the optioneering and pre-application stage through to achieving development consent. Their expertise helped to enable the successful resolution of matters, closing the Examination one month ahead of schedule.

Osborne Clarke's construction team, led by Duncan Parker, is now looking forward to continuing to support Ecotricity through the next stages of the project.

This project and ongoing collaboration exemplify Osborne Clarke's commitment to supporting the energy transition, contributing to the UK's Net Zero goals. As a key player in the renewable energy sector, the planning team has demonstrated its extensive skills and knowledge in the pursuit of a sustainable and greener future.