Reform and Tory councils lose High Court bid to halt construction of UK's largest solar farm

Two local authorities have failed in a High Court challenge against the approval of the UK’s largest power-generating solar farm.

Reform UK-run Lincolnshire County Council and North Kesteven District Council, which is led by Conservatives, initiated legal proceedings contesting the government’s approval of the Springwell Solar Farm project.

The councils sought to challenge the development on the grounds that the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero failed to correctly assess its potential impacts on rural villages and surrounding landscapes, alongside the consequences of using large quantities of limited "best and most versatile" agricultural land.

Government planning consent for the 800-megawatt solar farm and linked battery storage, situated in North Kesteven, Lincolnshire, was granted in April.

Covering 1,280 hectares, the site will power 180,000 homes – equivalent to half of the households in Lincolnshire, developer EDF power solutions UK stated at the time.

Both councils previously opposed the project at the planning stage, alleging that "proper process" was not adhered to during the plant's approval.

At a hearing on Wednesday, the two councils made a bid to bring the legal challenge at the High Court in London.

The Secretary of State for energy security and Net Zero defended the claim.

In a ruling at the end of the hearing, Mr Justice Kimblin said the challenge could not proceed.

The judge said any claim of a “procedural defect” in the government’s consideration of the farm’s planning application is “not arguable”.

He acknowledged his decision would likely come “as a disappointment” to the councils and their supporters in the case, but he highlighted the “benefit” of Wednesday’s proceedings in giving their concerns a “proper airing out”.

Springwell is the 25th nationally significant clean energy project approved by the government since it came into office, which it says together will provide enough energy to power the equivalent of more than 12.5 million homes.

It comes alongside measures to roll out plug-in solar in UK stores, fitting solar on homes as standard and fast-tracking the next renewables auction to July this year.

In April, it was revealed that renewables generated a record share of the UK’s electricity in 2025, according to provisional figures from the Energy Department (Desnz).