Plans for 120-acre solar farm in Palgrave, near Diss, granted approval by Mid Suffolk District Council but community 'fractured', warns councillor

Plans for a 120-acre solar farm have been granted but have 'caused fracture' in a community, a councillor has warned

Aura Power Developments Limited's bid to build a 49.1-hectare solar farm, or just more than 120 acres, on land north of Lion Road, in Palgrave, near Diss, was discussed yesterday afternoon by Mid Suffolk's planning committee members.

The company said the development, which would sit on close to 80 per cent good quality agricultural land, would be capable of exporting 30 megawatts of energy, enough electricity to power 18,996 homes, over its 35-year lifetime.

But Cllr Tim Weller, ward member for Palgrave, said the development, alongside the neighbouring Grange Farm solar farm and the Norwich to Tilbury pylon development, had 'caused fracture' in the community.

He said: "Just south of 3,000 residents can be forgiven for feeling that they're single-handedly powering up Britain and that it's all just a bit too much.

"Conversely, and perversely, the planning authority is all but powerless to refuse such applications thanks to a lack of strategic coordination."

A total of 16 objections were submitted alongside the application, many citing the landscape impact, overbearing and the effects on the wildlife as their primary concerns.

Unlike other developments before it, however, Aura Power's bid received a significant amount of support, with 51 total letters.

Cllr Rowland Warboyys, ward member for Gislingham, said the range of resident representations not only showed how divisive developments could be but also the growing support for them.

The solar farm would connect to the Diss substation and would be built alongside access tracks, string inverters, transformers, an electrical connection compound, storage containers, and underground cables and conduits.

Stephen Rash, a farmer and one of the landowners involved in the project, sought to ease worries by saying the area had seen low and inconsistent yields in recent times, primarily due to drought and pest issues.

He said: "Some may question taking land out of food production, but the reality is, this is not prime agricultural land, and the revenue from the solar farm will help safeguard the future of our wider farming business.

"This project is not a threat to food security, it is a safeguard — it will provide a stable, reliable income that allows us to invest in better farming practices, modern equipment and long term sustainability."

Though not part of the application, Mr Rash said there was an intention to graze sheep on the land, ensuring its continued productivity during the development's lifetime.

Council papers said a 76 per cent biodiversity improvement would be delivered as a result of enhancement measures across the site such as bird, bar, and bee boxes.

This, alongside a range of other conditions and mitigations, was welcomed by planning officers as enough to outweigh the expected harms of the development.

Cllr John Matthissen, who said he would 'reluctantly support' the plans, called for more national coordination on clean energy developments to avoid communities in the district being overwhelmed with cumulative impacts.

Councillors decided to grant the application unanimously.

Construction is expected to begin around spring or summer 2027 and take up to nine months to complete.