Cuckoo Hill Solar Farm

Welcome to our consultation website

Powering over 10,000 homes with clean, renewable energy, while supporting nature and providing lasting benefits for the local community.

Qualitas Energy is working with the Ernest Cook Trust to bring forward plans for Cuckoo Hill Solar Farm on land at East Farm, Burton Lazars, Melton Mowbray, LE14 2UW.

The proposed 40MW Cuckoo Hill Solar Farm reflects a combination of Qualitas Energy’s energy expertise with the Ernest Cook Trust’s responsible progressive land management, creating a development that advances clean energy, community engagement, and long-term care for the countryside.

  • The project is still at an early stage, and we are committed to open, transparent, and meaningful engagement with the local community throughout the process. Our initial outreach has focused on the small number of properties closest to the proposed site, as these are the households most likely to be directly affected. We have also contacted the Parish Councils and Local Ward Councillors for the area.

    In November, we attended the Freeby Parish Council meeting to present the emerging plans and answer questions from councillors and residents. We also held a public consultation event on November 18th at Burton Lazars Village Hall, providing an opportunity for the wider community to learn more and share feedback.

    We want to ensure our proposals are shaped by local insight. As we progress with the project, this website will be updated to provide more information about the initial proposals, and provide a contact email for the project.

Site Location

Cuckoo Hill Solar Farm is being proposed on land at East Farm, Burton Lazars, Melton Mowbray, LE14 2UW. The Site is located approximately 1.6 km east of the village of Burton Lazars and approximately 2.8 km to the west of Melton Mowbray.

The total Site Area is c.98 hectares (ha), this includes the main development area and cable route. The main development area where panels will be located is 88 ha.

  • The site has been carefully selected following a detailed feasibility process, with consideration given to residential amenity, grid capacity, solar irradiation, environmental designations, cultural heritage, ecology, biodiversity, flood risk, and agricultural land quality.

    The Trust’s farm tenants are of the upmost importance to them, and the proposed location is suggested as it is low grade agricultural land with a history of marginal crop yields, so the impact on food production is minimal. This change in land use (arable to grass) will also create value through sheep grazing opportunities.

    The project will deliver significant benefits for wildlife through planting of trees, hedgerows and creation of new habitats for important local species. This planting will create new wildlife corridors, connecting isolated areas of woodland and reinstating some of the landscape character lost over the years to intensive farming practices.

    The solar farm is a temporary development, with a total operational period of 40 years, and will not change the land classification. Any planning consent will require full decommissioning and restoration, after which the land will revert to its previous agricultural use.

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Scoping Request

We recently submitted an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Scoping Request to Melton Borough Council. This marks an early step in the planning process, focused on identifying the environmental information about the site, and determining the environmental topics that will need to be assessed in detail. This process will help the design team understand potential impacts, identify measures to mitigate any adverse effects, and maximise opportunities for positive outcomes.

    • There are no designated heritage assets on or immediately adjoining the site.

    • The site lies outside of the Green Belt, Country Parks, National Parks, and any designated National Landscape (previously Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty).

    • The site falls within a Landscape Character Area (LCA) described as ‘Lowland Arable Farmland’. The surrounding context comprises rolling hills and varied topography. The gently sloping nature of the land, combined with woodland copses, mature hedgerows, and hedgerow trees, ensures the field parcels are not visually prominent within the wider landscape.

    • The proposals would also allow for sheep grazing between the arrays.

    • The quality of the agricultural land is not best and most versatile - it is Grade 3b.

    • The Site is covered by a designation within the Melton Local Plan which recognises the land as being suitable in principle for solar generation.

    • The Site is not covered by any international or national conservation or ecological designations.

    • The solar area is located in a low flood risk area.

It is our intention that the planning application will incorporate measures both to mitigate potential adverse environmental effects and to enhance environmental benefits, wherever possible, through thoughtful design.

An Environmental Statement (ES) will also be prepared as part of this application. This will outline the reasonable alternatives considered, describe the baseline environment, assess likely significant effects, and set out the measures proposed.

Indicative Site Layout and Opportunities Plan

Qualitas Energy

  • Qualitas Energy is a leading global investment and management platform with a dual focus on both funding and developing renewable energy, energy transition, and sustainable infrastructure. Since 2006, the Qualitas Energy team has dedicated over €14 billion to the energy transition worldwide. Qualitas Energy’s existing portfolio currently comprises 11 GW of operational and development-stage renewable energy assets – including solar PV, concentrated solar power (CSP), wind, energy storage, hydroelectric power, and renewable natural gas – across Spain, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, Poland, Chile, and the United States. Over the past five years, Qualitas Energy has generated enough energy to supply 1.2 million homes and has successfully avoided the emission of 1 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent.

    Qualitas Energy is committed to accelerating the energy transition in the UK. Everything that we do, we do it believing in our purpose which is to enable a more sustainable and greener future for the generations to come.

The Ernest Cook Trust

  • The Ernest Cook Trust is the the long-standing owner and custodian of the Little Dalby Estate. The Trust has managed the 5,600-acre estate for over 70 years, balancing traditional land use and new initiatives, in conjunction with their tenants.

    An educational charity, The Ernest Cook Trust helps to cultivate deep-rooted connections with the land, through outdoor learning and experiences in nature. As part of a community that respects connection to the countryside, the Trust recognises the need to adapt to challenges and help the land thrive for future generations. 

    The proposed 40MW Cuckoo Hill Solar Farm reflects the Trust’s wider strategy of responsible diversification and sustainable land use, ensuring that the land continues to provide for future generations. For the Trust, this proposal represents both a continuation of its stewardship of the land and a step towards resilience in the face of climate change.

EIA Scoping Submitted to Melton Borough Council

w/c 13th October 2025

October - December 2025

Consultation Period

November 2025

Consultation Event

Early 2026

Finalise Project Design

September 2026

Planning Application Submission