Influx of huge solar projects in Norfolk show no sign of slowing up

Norfolk’s solar stock is set to increase by 17,000 acres after plans for a fifth major development were unveiled.

Noventum Power is seeking permission for the latest project near Long Stratton, which could span roughly 2,500 acres.

It is the fifth major scheme for the county to emerge in recent weeks and, while many details remain under wraps, it is expected to be one of the biggest in the UK.

These projects combined will see solar panels installed across a grand total of 17,000 acres of countryside – equivalent to almost 10,000 football pitches.

This comes as the Labour government begins to usher major energy schemes through the planning process in an attempt to decarbonise the grid by the end of the decade.

Because of their size, a decision on whether the projects can go ahead will rest with Ed Miliband, the secretary of state for energy and net zero, rather than local councils.

This has led Kay Mason Billig, pictured, leader of Norfolk County Council, to criticise the Government for its “blinkered and fanatical drive” to meet this target, with local concerns about the impact on rural landscapes and loss of farmland.

She said: “I see this sudden gold rush to sign up acres of land as a precursor to the expected planning permission for the new pylons; it is a perverse and back-to-front policy.

“We appear to be being ridden roughshod over by the secretary of state in his blinkered and fanatical drive for the utopia of net zero by 2030.

“There is no common sense being applied, no thought for the long-term repercussions, no thought for the impact this will have on local people, their wellbeing, the environmental damage, or their losses due to this blight.

“We should not be bounced into an unacceptable and unmitigable situation. It must be stopped.”

The biggest planned solar farm for – and the largest in the pipeline in the UK – is in Gissing, with a scheme close to 5,000 acres.

There are also proposals for East Pye, which will cover 2,700 acres around several villages close to Long Stratton.

Two more Norfolk developments have been proposed further afield; High Grove, a 4,000-acre scheme near Dereham and Swaffham, and the Droves, spanning 2,800 acres on an adjoining site.

The scale of these projects suggest the latest development, which would produce 460 megawatts, could span some 2,500 acres.

While still in the early stages of development, energy firm Noventum has sought permission to connect the latest scheme to the national grid.

The company is currently engaging with interested landowners prior to submitting a formal planning application for the project.

Long Stratton appears to have become a hotspot for these developments due to its location along the proposed 114-mile pylon line from Dunston, near Norwich, to Tilbury on the Thames estuary.

While the pylon scheme is still in the consultation stage and yet to be ratified, energy firms seem to be anticipating the benefits of building solar panels close to the power lines, which would increase the cost-efficiency of the farms.

The new solar projects unveiled in Norfolk have prompted fierce opposition in many rural communities, who have raised concerns about the loss of farmland and the implications for food security.

They are also worried about the cost and efficiency of the schemes, as well as the impact on rural landscapes.