Burnfoot Energy Park
We have now submitted our planning application for Burnfoot Energy Park.
Thank you to all who have engaged and provided feedback during the consultation. Our application may be found on the Cumberland Council Planning Portal by searching for the application reference 26/0238.
Introducing Burnfoot Energy Park
ib vogt has now submitted a planning application to Cumberland Council for a solar farm on land at Hornickhill Farm, Burnfoot Farm, Honickhill Cottages and Burnfoot Cottages, Longtown, Carlisle CA6 5SL.
The project would have capacity of 45MW with the proposed development creating enough renewable energy to meet the annual electricity demands of over 12,000 homes. It would also offset approximately 295,000 tonnes of CO2 during the 40-year lifetime of the project.
The Proposed Development would comprise of the installation, operation and decommissioning of a renewable energy generating station, comprising ground-mounted photovoltaic (PV) solar arrays, a 132kV substation, underground cable route and associated equipment, infrastructure, access, landscape and biodiversity enhancements.
The proposed site location sits within a rural landscape and existing trees and hedgerows will be retained and enhanced to provide screening. While there are no statutory landscape, heritage or ecological designations on site, and these matters will be carefully considered when developing our proposals, alongside any feedback received throughout pre-submission consultation.
Interactive Feedback Map
Please click where you live on the feedback map below and fill in the pop-up form to submit your comment. This will enable us to directly understand the location of any concerns you may have with this proposal.
Indicative site location plan
Why do we need to do this?
The Climate Emergency, cost of living crisis and the wider geopolitical situation have highlighted the salience of energy pro- duction 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 de- clare 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 super- power”. 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:
Assist Cumberland Council in reducing greenhouse gas emissions in line with local and national targets in response to the Climate Emergency.
Contribution towards the security of energy supply in Cumbria through the provision of local, renewable electricity.
Careful consideration to avoid effects on landscape, heritage, or ecology.
Significant biodiversity net gain.
Job creation and significant business rates.
A community fund will be established to invest in local projects and initiatives. .
A temporary development allowing the land to rest for a period of 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.
No Government subsidy required.
Indicative solar PV area
Who are we?
ib vogt is a leading utility-scale developer with a 20-year track record in the renewable energy sector. ib vogt is headquartered in London with a team of experienced engineers, project developers, planners and land and grid managers.
ib vogt is a leading solar and battery developer storage developer in the UK and has built almost 500MW of solar projects across the nation, with another 300+ MW of solar and BESS currently under construction.
Frequently Asked Questions
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There is no evidence that solar farms have a negative impact on wildlife. In fact, wildlife thrives within the sites when managed sensitively. We are committed to a significant biodiversity net gain through the enhancement of existing landscape features and habitats, creation of skylark plots and new habitats to provide opportunities for local wildlife and improved connectivity across the site.
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ib vogt will contribute funds to local community projects as part of our solar farm investment. We are keen to hear from locals about potential projects which would be compatible with our values. The proposed development would represent a significant financial investment and would create short term construction jobs. It would also result in additional business rates over its 40-year lifespan.
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It typically takes 12 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 its operator, minimising visits by maintenance staff.
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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.
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For our solar farm projects, we require a nearby grid connection, a willing landowner, and a site that shows limited or no constraints and is consistent with planning policy. Burnfoot Energy Park offers all of these features.
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The solar farm is a temporary development and will not change the land classification. A soil survey will be carried out in due course.
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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 consider potential mitigation, if necessary.
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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 less than 0.1% of land use in the UK (Solar Energy UK Factsheet, 2024). To meet the government’s net zero target, the Climate Change Committee estimates that the UK will require 90GW of solar capacity by 2050, with 70GW needed by 2035. Achieving this would necessitate using approximately 0.6% of the UK’s land area for solar power (Solar Energy UK Factsheet, 2024), which is less than the space currently occupied by golf courses.
Public Consultation Event
Our public consultation event took place on the 16th December from 4-8pm at Blackford C of E Primary School, Blackford, Carlisle, CA6 4ES.
Winter 2025
Pre-Submission Consultation
Project Timeline
Early 2026
April 2026
Finalise Proposed Design
2026
Submit Planning Application
Planning Decision
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