Plans for huge substation in Harborough district will need impact assessment amid fears of ‘significant effect’ on countryside

If approved, the substation would be nearly eight times the size of Fosse Park.

NatPower UK Limited submitted the application for land at Lambcote Hill Farm, Swinford Road, Walcote, last month (March). The applicant has sought information from Harborough District Council (HDC) as to whether an environmental impact assessment (EIA) was needed for the proposed mega development.

If ultimately approved, the substation, known as “Swinford Energy Park”, would be sited in five agricultural fields spanning 80 hectares (roughly the equivalent of 120 full-size football pitches), with land to the west of the site consented for use as a solar farm. The substation itself would comprise a 400kV transmission substation connecting to overhead power lines with a 1GW battery energy storage system (BESS) and necessary infrastructure.

However, before it gets to that stage, NatPower UK Limited looked into the potential need for an EIA which sets out whether a proposed project is likely to have significant effects on the environment. Such assessments also look at what can be done to mitigate the effects.

In its ruling this week, HDC decided that based on the information provided, an EIA is required. It said it made the decision as the proposed development is likely to have “significant effects on the landscape of the local environment”, with concerns raised about its size, location and the “permanent” impact it would have on the countryside.

The council made clear its decision relates solely to the need for an EIA and “should not be construed as a consideration of the planning merits of the proposed scheme”. HDC said it was making the decision “without prejudice” to a formal planning application.

If such an application is later submitted by NatPower UK Limited, the council said it would be assessed against the relevant development plan policies and any material considerations. A future planning application would also be subject to “consultations with local residents, parish councils and other third parties”, the council ruled.