The new Labour government has acted swiftly to approve the 2,500-acre Sunnica solar farm that straddles the border of Cambridgeshire and Suffolk. The Secretary of State Ed Miliband announced today he has given it the go ahead.
It will be built across four sites, one near Mildenhall and West Row, another near Freckenham and Worlington and then on two other sites in East Cambridgeshire close to Newmarket. They will all be connected by cables running underground.
As reported by CambsNews earlier this week, Britain Remade – a campaign set up to promote economic growth – felt it would be one of the Labour Government’s first tasks.
British Remade chief executive Sam Richards had predicted the appointment of Mr Miliband as Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero and had raised expectations of Sunnica being approved.
“Ed has been a strong champion for the necessary planning reforms needed to build the new sources of clean energy,” Mr Richards said in an article in trade journal ReNEWS
“At the stroke of a pen he can reverse the de facto ban on new onshore wind farms in England – unlocking one of the cheapest forms of energy available and lowering bills for millions of households across the country.”
The installation of solar photovoltaic generating panels and electrical battery storage technology on Sunnica East and Sunnica West, and associated infrastructure for connection to the national grid, include an extension to the Burwell National Grid Substation.
The scheme allows for the delivery of over 50 megawatts of renewable energy.
Mr Miliband has made clear that solar power is “crucial to achieving net zero” and would provide “an abundant source of cleaner, cheaper energy on the mission towards 2023.
“We will make tough decisions with ambition and urgency – all part of our plan to make the UK a clean energy superpower”.
Labour could ‘immediately give green light’ to 2,500 acres Cambridgeshire/Suffolk Sunnica solar farm
A Planning Inspectorate statement confirmed: “The Secretary of State has today granted development consent for this application.
“As detailed in the decision letter, immediately after the General Election when the new Secretary of State took office, the Secretary of State extended the statutory date for this application as the previous deadline fell within the pre-election period when no development consent order decisions were taken.
“A written ministerial statement to announce this extension in accordance with section 107(7) of the Planning Act will be made as soon as possible once Parliament is in session.
“The decision has now been taken by the Secretary of State within that new deadline.”
Labour has also dropped the 9-year ban imposed by the Conservatives on new onshore windfarms.
Lucy Frazer, the former MP, had promised in the run up to the election that “I have opposed the huge Sunnica solar farm which affects so many villages in East Cambridgeshire and if re-elected on 4 July will continue to vociferously oppose it”.
Charlotte Cane, MP for Ely and East Cambridgeshire said :“This vast Solar Farm marches through large swathes of my constituency.
“The examiner spent years carefully considering all the issues and all the representations. Every local authority affected spent years considering the application and its implications and all called for it to be rejected.
“With just one week’s consideration, the Secretary of State has decided that he knows better and has given permission.
“Green energy is vital and solar farms are key to meeting our net zero targets. But that must not mean that every solar farm application should get permission regardless of its impact on our food security, biodiversity, landscape character and our existing farming and horse racing businesses.
“I am shocked that the Secretary of State has overridden all advice to the contrary and given this scheme permission. I have contacted Say No to Sunnica to discuss further.”
The Cabinet Member for Planning at West Suffolk Council has said he is disappointed at the decision by the Secretary of State to allow the massive Sunnica solar farm to go ahead.
“While West Suffolk Council supports sustainability and use of renewable energy including solar, the council’s position is that the Sunnica application is too big and in the wrong location,” said Cllr Jim Thorndyke, Cabinet Member for Planning at West Suffolk Council.
“Many of our local towns and parishes and the Sunnica Action Group have raised concerns about the impact of this application. West Suffolk Council has listened, and it has also reviewed the information from Sunnica. Together with Suffolk County Council, East Cambridgeshire District Council and Cambridgeshire County Council, we have all objected to the application citing concerns about the impact it will have.
“So I am disappointed by today’s decision.
“We are fully committed to solar and other renewable energy to help tackle climate change.
“But Sunnica proposals are too big and may cause and in the wrong location and we will now be carefully reviewing the decision to understand how it has been reached.”
West Suffolk Council says it already works to install solar panels on the roofs of businesses, community and public buildings, and it also owns one of the largest Council owned solar farms on 17.5 hectares of land at Toggam Farm near Lakenheath.
“But the Sunnica scheme is 35 times bigger than Toggam,” said a council spokesperson.
“It will occupy more than 621 hectares. There will also be additional land for Battery Energy Storage as well as a buffer where no other development could take place.
“It was because to its sheer size, that the planning application has to be decided by The Secretary of State.
“As part of its objection to the scheme West Suffolk Council expressed concerns over the impact to ecology and biodiversity, the local landscape, flood risk, traffic, as well as potential damage to the horse racing industry and tourism.
!It echoed safety fears raised by Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service and warned the Sunnica scheme could have a damaging impact on local communities, their homes and businesses, as well as to nature, the local landscape and more.”
