| | | | | | | | | Energy Planning in the Gate 2 Connections World
| | | Discover our latest guide for developers, project managers and investors.
| | | At Third Revolution, we advise developers, funders and infrastructure providers on securing deliverable planning consents for energy and infrastructure projects. Our work spans solar, battery storage, wind, grid infrastructure and grid support and emerging technologies, with a focus on aligning planning outcomes with programme certainty and commercial value.
Our latest paper draws directly on our experience working alongside developers and project managers navigating the planning and Gate 2 processes. It is intended as a practical guide: identifying common risks, explaining why projects stall, and setting out the steps that materially improve prospects of consent, delivery and sale.
| | | | | | | | | UKREiiF is the UK’s leading forum for real estate, investment and infrastructure, bringing together property professionals, investors, developers and senior decision-makers from across the UK.
| | It’s always a standout moment in the calendar. A chance to step away from the day-to-day, reconnect with familiar faces and build new relationships across the planning, infrastructure and development community. This year, Robert Shaw, Stefano Smith FRTPI FRSA and Andrew Dowell MRTPI will be attending from Third Revolution Projects.
If you’re attending UKREiiF and would like to talk about current or upcoming projects, or simply catch up over a coffee, we’d be delighted to connect. | | | | Approval for Thurley Road Solar | Planning has been secured for 49.9 MW Thurleigh Road Solar Farm in Bedfordshire, designed with an installed capacity of 140 MWp, marking a significant milestone in the delivery of new clean energy infrastructure in the UK. By sharing grid infrastructure with Thurleigh Road Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), the project will provide flexibility and reduce long term grid management costs, delivering multiple efficiencies. | | Completion of Three Bridges Solar Farm | Structural installation of Three Bridges Solar Farm in Norfolk has been successfully completed, with over 35,000 solar panels now in place across the 86-acre site.
The project combines 25 MWp of solar generation with a co-located 32.6 MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), creating a hybrid renewable energy asset that will provide clean power and grid flexibility to the UK network. | | | | | | Appeals procedure changes from 1st April 2026 | | From 1st April 2026, a new 'expedited' procedure will become the default for many written representations appeals. While the intention is to speed up decisions, it comes with a significant shift in how appeals are assessed.
In short, inspectors will generally only consider the material that was submitted at application stage. The opportunity to introduce new evidence at appeal will be extremely limited, reserved for truly exceptional circumstances. This won’t impact any of your current or determined schemes, but it will influence how applications need to be prepared going forward.
If you’d like to discuss how these changes could affect your projects or pipeline, feel free to get in touch.
| | | | | Data Centres: Planning for power, place and delivery
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Andrew Dowell, Associate Director and People Lead spent a day at Data Centre World, London, a useful reminder of both the scale and complexity of the sector.
What’s clear is that data centres are no longer standalone developments. Delivery increasingly depends on how planning, power and wider infrastructure align. The pace of growth is significant, but so are the challenges, particularly around energy, site selection and long-term resilience.
At TRP, we’re working with clients at that intersection shaping planning strategies, identifying suitable sites and ensuring projects are aligned with wider infrastructure systems from the outset.
If you’d like to discuss the latest thinking on data centres and energy, connect with Andrew. | |
Proposed reforms to grid connections, particularly for AI and data centre-led demand, signal a major shift in how capacity is prioritised. The shift sees movement away from speculative queueing towards projects with credible delivery, clear demand and wider economic value. While this should help unlock stalled infrastructure, it also has wider implications.
For housing and other development, access to power is becoming an increasingly critical constraint and a key determinant of where growth can happen. In practice, this reinforces the need to think about energy and planning together from the outset.
At TRP, we’re helping clients to align site strategy with planning and infrastructure to ensure projects remain deliverable in a more constrained, prioritised system. If you’d like to discuss how these changes could affect your pipeline, feel free to connect with Sandy Scott, Associate Planner and Energy Lead. | | | | | | | | The positive economic benefits of renewable projects in local authorities controlled by Reform UK | |
Renewables are delivering billions to local economies, including in Reform UK-controlled authorities. At a time when the cost of net zero is under intense political scrutiny, the debate needs to be grounded in evidence. That’s why we’ve partnered with Alpaca Communications to publish a new report 'The Economic Case for Renewable Energy in Reform UK-Controlled Authorities.' | | | | | PLANNING AND PROGRESSScotland's planning system has hard-wired into delivery law
| | Scotland’s planning system has shifted and delivery now sits firmly at its core. With NPF4 and legally binding net zero targets shaping decisions, planning is no longer just about good design. It is about proving a scheme can actually be delivered. Read more in edition three of our LinkedIn newsletter.
| | | | Subscribe to our LinkedIn newsletter | Our LinkedIn newsletter, 'Planning and Progress' shares the latest in industry insight from Third Revolution Projects; your partner for sustainable success. | | | | | | YOUR PARTNER FOR SUSTAINABLE SUCCESS | | | | | | | | | | Our mailing address is: Build Studios, 203 Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1 7FR. | | | | | | | |
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