Economic Benefits Statement of a Solar Farm in North Dorset
Hardisty Jones were commissioned by Enviromena to deliver an economic benefits statement in support of a planning application for the proposed development of Motcombe Solar Farm in Dorset.
The proposed Motcombe Solar Farm, North Dorset, is proposed to have a generating capacity of up to 12 MW of clean electricity each year. The proposed development would be operational for 40 years before being restored to full agricultural use.
Alignment to national and local policy
National and local policy set out objectives on reaching net zero and increasing renewable energy capacity in the UK and North Dorset. This includes:
- DESNZ’s Solar Roadmap, published in June 2025, highlights that ‘ramping up the deployment [of solar energy generation] is crucial for creating new, good quality jobs and promoting stable and consistent economic growth’.
- Dorset Draft Economic Growth Strategy which sets out the significant opportunity to secure investment, jobs, and growth through a number of key economic projects including clean energy generation developments.
The Economic Benefits Statement we prepared demonstrated how the development of Motcombe Solar Farm aligns with, and helps to deliver, policy objectives through providing clean electricity and supporting economic growth.
Assessing the Economic Benefits
Based on capital expenditure, we assessed the employment, wages, and GVA that would be generated in the UK and in Dorset by the activities of the solar farm over its 40-year lifetime.
There are also wider economic benefits associated with solar farm schemes. This includes economic contributions from developers (such as rental payments to the landowner and business rates to the local Council), opportunities for farm diversification, and opportunities to increase individual and business expertise and skills in the renewable energy sector.
How the Economic Benefits Statement supported the planning application
The December 2025 Draft National Planning Policy Framework notes that ‘substantial weight should be given to the economic benefits of proposals for commercial development which allow businesses to invest, expand and adapt; especially where this would support the economic vision and strategy for the area, the implementation of the Industrial Strategy’.
It is widely known that the economic impacts of solar farms are known to be limited at operational phase. Our work showed that whilst this is true, solar farms are able to bring about many economic benefits across their whole lifetime, bringing employment and investment to the local community.
If you would like to talk to us about how we can support your efforts to make the case for and assess the economic impacts for a renewable energy development, please get in touch.
