The Longfield Solar Farm Order 2023

Authorised development

2.  In the Districts of Braintree and Chelmsford City and in the County of Essex a nationally significant infrastructure project as defined in sections 14 and 15 of the 2008 Act and associated development under section 115(1)(b) of the 2008 Act.

The nationally significant infrastructure project comprises one generating station with a gross electrical output capacity of over 50 megawatts comprising all or any of the work numbers in this Schedule or any part of any work number in this Schedule—

Work No. 1— a ground mounted solar photovoltaic generating station with a gross electrical output capacity of over 50 megawatts including—

(a) solar panels fitted to mounting structures; and

(b) balance of solar system (BoSS) plant,

and associated development within the meaning of section 115(2) (development for which development consent may be granted) of the 2008 Act including—

Work No. 2— an energy storage facility comprising—

(a) Work No. 2A— a battery energy storage system compound including—

(i) battery energy storage system (BESS) units each comprising an enclosure for BESS electro-chemical components and associated equipment, with the enclosure being of metal façade, joined or close coupled to each other, mounted on a reinforced concrete foundation slab or concrete piles;

(ii) transformers and associated bunding;

(iii) inverters, switch gear, power conversion systems (PCS) and ancillary equipment;

(iv) containers or enclosures housing all or any of Work Nos. 2A(ii) and (iii) and ancillary equipment;

(v) monitoring and control systems housed within the containers or enclosures comprised in Work Nos. 2A(i) or (iv) or located separately in its own container or enclosure;

(vi) heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems either housed on or within each of the containers or enclosures comprised in Work Nos. 2A(i), (iv) and (v), attached to the side or top of each of the containers or enclosures, or located separate to but near to each of the containers or enclosures;

(vii) electrical cables including electrical cables connecting to Work No. 3;

(viii) fire safety infrastructure including water storage tanks and a shut-off valve for containment of fire water and hard standing to accommodate emergency vehicles; and

(ix) containers or similar structures to house spare parts and materials required for the day to day operation of the BESS facility.

(b) Work No. 2B— a battery energy storage system compound including—

(i) battery energy storage system (BESS) units each comprising an enclosure for BESS electro-chemical components and associated equipment, with the enclosure being of metal façade, joined or close coupled to each other, mounted on a reinforced concrete foundation slab or concrete piles;

(ii) transformers and associated bunding;

(iii) inverters, switch gear, power conversion systems (PCS) and ancillary equipment;

(iv) containers or enclosures housing, all or any of Work Nos. 2B (ii) and (iii) and ancillary equipment;

(v) monitoring and control systems housed within the containers or enclosures comprised in Work Nos. 2B(i) or (iv) or located separately in its own container or enclosure;

(vi) heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems either housed on or within each of the containers or enclosures comprised in Work Nos. 2B(i), (iv) and (v), attached to the side or top of each of the containers or enclosures, or located separate to but near to each of the containers or enclosures;

(vii) electrical cables including electrical cables connecting to Work No. 3;

(viii) fire safety infrastructure including water storage tanks and a shut-off valve for containment of fire water and hard standing to accommodate emergency vehicles; and

(ix) containers or similar structures to house spare parts and materials required for the day to day operation of the BESS facility.

Work No. 3— works in connection with an onsite substation including—

(a) substation, switch room buildings and ancillary equipment including reactive power units;

(b) control building housing offices, storage and welfare facilities;

(c) monitoring and control systems for this Work No. 3 and Work Nos. 1 and 2 housed within the control building in Work No. 3(b) or located separately in their own containers or control rooms;

(d) 400 kilovolt harmonic filter compound; and

(e) electrical cables including electrical cables connecting to Work No. 2.

Work No. 4— works to lay high voltage electrical cables, access and temporary construction laydown areas for the electrical cables including—

(a) Work No. 4A—

(i) works to lay electrical cables including one 400 kilovolt cable circuit connecting Work No. 3 to Work No. 5; and

(ii) laying down of internal access tracks, ramps, means of access, footpaths, roads, including the laying and construction of drainage infrastructure, signage and information boards; and

(b) Work No. 4B— temporary construction laydown areas.

Work No. 5— an extension to the existing substation including—

(a) Work No. 5A— an electricity switching station including—

(i) a main substation building to include an indoor gas insulated switchgear (GIS) switch hall, ancillary plant rooms, amenities block, storage and workshop units;

(ii) outdoor air insulated (AIS) switchgear, GIS busbars, two overhead line gantries and associated foundations and structures;

(iii) a new permanent access road from the existing private road including a new bellmouth entrance;

(iv) internal roadways and footpaths;

(v) earthworks;

(vi) car parking area;

(vii) lighting columns and lighting;

(viii) perimeter fencing and security cameras;

(ix) drainage system and a new drainage outfall to Boreham Brook; and

(x) new connections from pylons 4VB061A and 4VB061B including pylon modifications; and

(b) Work No. 5B— temporary overhead line alterations including two new temporary pylons and realignment of the existing 400kV overhead line.

Work No. 6— works including—

(a) electrical cables including electrical cables connecting to Work No. 1 to Work No. 3;

(b) fencing, gates, boundary treatment and other means of enclosure;

(c) works for the provision of security and monitoring measures such as CCTV columns, lighting columns and lighting, cameras, weather stations, communication infrastructure, and perimeter fencing;

(d) landscaping and biodiversity mitigation and enhancement measures including planting;

(e) improvement, maintenance and use of existing private tracks;

(f) laying down of internal access tracks, ramps, means of access, footpaths, permissive paths, cycle routes and roads, including the laying and construction of drainage infrastructure, signage and information boards;

(g) temporary footpath diversions;

(h) earthworks;

(i) SuDs Ponds, runoff outfalls, general drainage and irrigation infrastructure and improvements or extensions to existing drainage and irrigation systems;

(j) up to 10 secondary temporary construction compounds, both within the permanent work area and outside the permanent work area; and

(k) works to divert and underground existing electrical overhead lines.

Work No. 7— temporary construction and decommissioning laydown areas including—

(a) Work No. 7A— a main temporary construction and decommissioning laydown area in connection with Work Nos. 1-4, 6 and 8-10 comprising—

(i) areas of hardstanding;

(ii) car parking;

(iii) site and welfare offices, canteens and workshops;

(iv) area to store materials and equipment;

(v) storage and waste skips;

(vi) area for download and turning;

(vii) security infrastructure, including cameras, perimeter fencing and lighting;

(viii) site drainage and waste management infrastructure (including sewerage); and

(ix) electricity, water, waste water and telecommunications connections.

(b) Work No. 7B— temporary construction laydown area in connection with Work No. 5 comprising—

(i) areas of hardstanding;

(ii) car parking;

(iii) site and welfare offices, canteens, and workshops;

(iv) area to store materials and equipment;

(v) storage and waste skips;

(vi) area for download and turning;

(vii) security infrastructure, including cameras, perimeter fencing and lighting

(viii) site drainage and waste management infrastructure (including sewerage);

(ix) electricity, water, waste water and telecommunications connections; and

(x) a new temporary access from the existing private road to the temporary compound in this Work No. 7B.

Work No. 8— office, warehouse and plant storage building comprising—

(a) offices and welfare facilities;

(b) storage facilities;

(c) waste storage within a fenced compound;

(d) parking areas; and

(e) a warehouse building for the storage of spare parts, operational plant and vehicles.

Work No. 9— works to facilitate access to Work Nos. 1 to 8 and 10 including—

(a) creation of accesses from the public highway;

(b) creation of visibility splays; and

(c) works to widen and surface the public highway.

Work No. 10— areas of habitat management

(a) landscape and biodiversity enhancement measures;

(b) habitat creation and management, including earthworks, landscaping, means of enclosure, and the laying and construction of drainage infrastructure; and

(c) laying down of permissive paths, signage and information boards.

In connection with and in addition to Work Nos. 1 to 10, further associated development comprising such other works or operations as may be necessary or expedient for the purposes of or in connection with the authorised development, and which are within the Order limits and fall within the scope of the work assessed by the environmental statement, including—

(a) boundary treatments, including means of enclosure;

(b) bunds, embankments, trenching and swales;

(c) works to the existing irrigation system and works to alter the position and extent of such irrigation system;

(d) surface water drainage systems, storm water attenuation systems including storage basins, oil water separators, including channelling and culverting and works to existing drainage networks;

(e) electrical, gas, water, foul water drainage and telecommunications infrastructure connections, diversions and works to, and works to alter the position of, such services and utilities connections;

(f) works to alter the course of, or otherwise interfere with, non-navigable rivers, streams or watercourses;

(g) site establishments and preparation works including site clearance (including vegetation removal, demolition of existing structures); earthworks (including soil stripping and storage and site levelling) and excavations; the alteration of the position of services and utilities; and works for the protection of buildings and land;

(h) works to maintain and repair streets and access roads; and

(i) tunnelling, boring and drilling works.