Solar farms are installations of multiple solar photovoltaic (PV) panels. They generate electricity to feed into the grid and supply power.
Most solar farms consist of ground-mounted panels on land which can be tilted at the right angle to harvest sunlight most efficiently throughout the day and the year.
Solar farms can be accompanied by battery energy storage systems which store excess energy when supply is higher than demand.
Planning consent for solar farms
The size of the solar farm determines which organisation decides the application.
Solar farms with a generating capacity below 50 megawatts (MW) are decided by the local planning authority, i.e. Folkestone & Hythe District Council.
Decisions are reached taking into account the council’s Local Plan, the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and planning practice guidance.
Those above 50 MW become what is known as a National Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) schemes. NSIP applications have to be submitted to the government’s Planning Inspectorate.
This results in the local planning authority (Folkestone & Hythe District Council) becoming one of the organisations consulted about the plan. It is not the decision maker and is not responsible for enabling consultation on the plan.
From December 2025 the qualification for proposed solar farms to be defined as NSIPs is due to rise from 50MW to 100MW.
Website updated 15 July 2025 – please note that this area of the website will be updated as required and will be the main source of information from the council for councillors and residents.