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 near 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.
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We are committed to engaging openly and transparently with the local community throughout the planning application process. Community feedback has played an important role in shaping the proposals, and we will continue to provide updates and opportunities for engagement as the project progresses.
Planning Application Submitted - July 2026
We are pleased to confirm that the planning application for Cuckoo Hill Solar Farm has now been submitted to Melton Borough Council. The planning application has now been validated and given the reference 26/00681/FUL.
Melton Borough Council will now begin examining the merits of the scheme, including undertaking a further round of consultation with the local community and statutory consultees.
The submitted planning documents are now publicly available on Melton Borough Council’s planning portal. This website will continue to be updated with the latest project information throughout the planning application process.
Site Location
Cuckoo Hill Solar Farm is being proposed on land near 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.
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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.
Ongoing Engagement
We are continuing to engage with the local community throughout the planning application process. This project has been shaped through open, transparent, and meaningful engagement, and we remain committed to listening to local views as the application progresses.
Our engagement has included the local community surrounding the proposed site, with direct communication to the small number of properties most likely to be directly affected. We have also worked closely with the relevant Parish Councils and Local Ward Councillors to ensure local views have helped inform the proposals.
Public consultation
In November 2025, we attended the Freeby Parish Council meeting to present the emerging proposals and answer questions from councillors and residents.
On 18 November 2025, we held a public consultation event at Burton Lazars Village Hall, providing an opportunity for the wider community to learn more about the proposals, speak directly with the project team and share their feedback.
At the event, residents were able to view information about the proposed development, including the indicative site layout and opportunities plan, initial landscaping proposals, construction traffic information, and answers to frequently asked questions. The consultation also introduced our commitment to a community benefit fund and invited residents to share ideas about how it could best support the local area.
Below is the indicative site layout and opportunities plan that was presented during the public consultation.
Updated Proposals
The feedback received through this engagement helped shape the proposals before the planning application was submitted. Following consultation, the project team made a number of significant improvements and enhancements to the scheme, reflecting the comments and suggestions received from local residents and stakeholders.
We remain committed to maintaining an open dialogue throughout the planning application process. This website will continue to be updated with the latest project information throughout the process. If you have any questions or comments, please contact the project team using the details provided on this website.
See here to learn more about our updated and improved proposals.
Qualitas Energy
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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
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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
July 2026
Planning Application Submission