Fitzwalters Farm Solar & BESS is a co-located 49.9MW solar and battery energy storage project located on agricultural land at Fitzwalters Farm, Roman Road, Shenfield, Brentwood, Essex. The project was resolved for approval by Brentwood Borough Council's Planning Committee on 21 July 2026 (application reference: 25/00813/FUL).
The site covers approximately 95 hectares of Green Belt farmland to the north of the A12. Consent was granted as a temporary development for up to 40 years, after which the solar panels, battery units and associated infrastructure will be removed and the land restored to agricultural use.
Project Overview
Developer Background
Luminous Energy is a UK-based developer of utility-scale solar and battery storage projects, headquartered in Corsham, Wiltshire. Established in 2013, the company has developed over 1GW of projects globally with a 100% planning approval record across 20 projects, spanning the UK, Australia, the US and Chile — including the 202MWp Columboola Solar Farm in Australia and the Minety energy storage project, which was the largest battery energy storage system in the northern hemisphere when completed.
Fitzwalters forms part of the company's UK pipeline of co-located solar and storage assets, developed under an agri-solar approach that keeps host land within the agricultural estate while pairing generation with battery storage on a shared grid connection.
Project Significance
Grid Stability: The co-located battery import capacity is designed to enhance grid stability, energy storage capability and overall system efficiency.
Substantial Local Output: The solar farm is expected to generate approximately 63,208MWh of clean electricity each year, enough to power around 23,410 homes — roughly 77% of the occupied households in Brentwood Borough.
Biodiversity Net Gain: Habitat creation and enhancement, hedgerow planting and infilling, and the retention and management of existing landscape features and public rights of way all form part of the approved scheme.
No Government Subsidies: The project does not rely on government subsidies, and a community benefit fund is to be agreed before construction.
Project Context
Fitzwalters Farm sits on Green Belt farmland, and the application was determined after detailed scrutiny of Green Belt policy, landscape impact, biodiversity measures and the benefits of renewable energy generation. Members concluded that the benefits of producing clean electricity, together with wider environmental gains, outweighed the identified harm to the Green Belt — with officers noting there would be no significant permanent loss of farming land because the consent is temporary and the land must be restored.
The scheme is a typical example of the UK's Farm BESS asset class — agricultural land hosting temporary energy infrastructure, supporting the energy transition while preserving long-term agricultural use.
Related Links
Brentwood Borough Council Planning Portal (search reference: 25/00813/FUL)
Information compiled from Luminous Energy's Fitzwalters project page, Brentwood Borough Council planning documents and UK trade press coverage. Last updated: 16 September 2026.