EcoPower’s solar farm project could cause ‘irreversible damage’ to county, says councillor Richard Rout

Plans to construct a huge solar farm in north Suffolk risk causing irreversible damage to biodiversity and ecology, it has been warned.

EcoPower is seeking permission to connect a 250-megawatt solar farm and battery energy storage system to the national grid.

The development would be spread over 1,500 acres of land at multiple sites around Yaxley, Brome, Gislingham, Mellis, Eye and Occold.

With a consultation period set to close next week, Suffolk County Council is currently finalising a 60-page response – outlining its objections to what it is calling a rushed proposal – while encouraging people to have their say.

Cabinet member Richard Rout said: “There are many technical reasons on which our objections are based. Personally, I cannot move past the significant, negative impact this proposal will have – and has already had – on local residents and communities.

“What exacerbates this is the frightening speed at which EcoPower wants to get its plans in front of the Planning Inspectorate. There is precious little time for people to understand the project, its potential impact, and to provide a considered response.

“The dangers of rushing a proposal such as this are many – missing significant archaeological opportunities, irreversibly
damaging biodiversity and ecology, or alienating communities, to name a few.

“There is also so much detail and evidence missing from the proposals, which concerns me. EcoPower needs to provide details of comprehensive mitigation packages for communities, evidence of workforce and skills plans, and so much more.”

One of the key elements of the council’s opposition will be based on its position that solar farms should not remove Suffolk’s best-quality farmland from food production.

Details on the scheme, published by Defra, identifies a number of parcels of land where this project will locate solar infrastructure over grade two agricultural land.

The EcoPower Suffolk consultation is available at www.ecopowersuffolk.com and closes on Tuesday.

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