MALDON District Council has been asked to comment on what environmental studies are needed for the proposed Dengie Peninsula Energy Park.

The park is a new solar and energy storage project located on land near the villages of Bradwell-on-Sea, Dengie and Burnham-on-Crouch.

UK-based renewable energy company Low Carbon is behind the scheme which is designed to deliver up to 1 GW of clean energy, classified as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project. For detailed specifications, capacity goals, and consultation timelines, visit Low Carbon.

Ed Perrin, Project Development Director at Low Carbon, said: "Dengie Peninsula Energy Park has the potential to play an important role in delivering the clean, secure and affordable power the UK needs, combining large-scale renewable electricity generation with energy storage to support a more resilient and flexible power system.

"We are still at an early stage in developing the project and are committed to engaging openly with local communities, businesses and stakeholders throughout the process. Listening to local views and gathering feedback will be essential in helping us to understand community priorities and refine our proposals as they evolve."

The consultation with Maldon Council is not a planning application, but is part of the pre-application process. Low Carbon is asking what environmental studies should be included with any future planning application. These studies form an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). It is not a consultation on whether the park should go ahead, and it does not give permission to build it.

Maldon Council leader Cllr Simon Morgan said: "Because of its size, any planning application that comes forward would be considered through the national planning process by Government and the Secretary of State, rather than decided by Maldon District Council.

"The Council would still have an important role: giving planning and technical advice, identifying how the project could affect the local area and representing our communities throughout the process.

"It would be the Planning Inspectorate who would examine any future application for permission to build the park. The Secretary of State would make the final decision, not Maldon District Council."

The proposed park could generate up to 1 gigawatt (1,000MW) of electricity. The developer estimates it could produce enough electricity to power around 250,000 homes.

More information about the plans is available on the developer's Dengie Peninsula Energy Park website.

What the consultation covers

Low Carbon has asked the Planning Inspectorate to agree which environmental issues need to be studied. This is called an EIA Scoping Request. The Planning Inspectorate is now asking for comments on what those studies should cover.

This stage is about what needs to be investigated, not whether the project should go ahead. It helps identify possible environmental impacts and local concerns early on.

The studies would look at changes to the landscape and views, effects on wildlife and habitats, loss of farmland, and traffic when the park is built and later taken down. They would also consider how power lines and other grid connections would look. Noise, effects on aircraft and sunlight reflected from solar panels may also need to be studied. Listing these issues does not decide how important they would be when an application is considered.

The Council must send its comments to the Planning Inspectorate by 24 November 2026. The consultation documents are available on the Planning Inspectorate's project documents page.

Council officers are reviewing the documents and preparing a response. They will check whether the planned environmental studies cover the issues that matter to the District.

Discussions with Essex County Council will help both councils agree how to work together and make the best use of their expertise.

The developer has said it plans a separate, wider public consultation in early 2027. Residents, councillors and others with an interest would have another chance to comment before a formal application for permission, called a Development Consent Order, is submitted.