
Island Green Power (IGP) is bringing forward proposed plans for a solar farm with battery storage located on land north of Swaffham and south of Castle Acre, West Norfolk.

We are currently undertaking land surveys and assessments to determine the proposed site layout.

Engagement to date
To date, we have conducted introductory meetings with key stakeholders who have expert knowledge of the local area. This engagement has helped us understand potential concerns and opportunities at the Site and its surrounding context. Our early efforts have also included a series of workshops and communications with the landowner and nearby properties.
This engagement is essential for the preparation and refinement of our detailed proposals, which we will present during statutory consultation, currently scheduled to take place in early summer 2025. Following this, we will prepare to submit our Development Consent Order (“DCO”) application, which we expect to be in winter 2025.
About Island Green Power
IGP is a leading developer of utility-scale solar projects and battery storage systems. We operate in the UK, Spain, Italy, Australia and New Zealand. Our mission is to help countries accelerate the transition from fossil fuels to solar power by making more renewable energy possible, drastically reducing carbon emissions and contributing to global net zero targets.
Why Solar?

The way we consume energy is already changing. The move towards renewables and the transition away from fossil fuels is an environmental and economic necessity.
To meet the government’s net zero and climate change targets as set out in Make Britain a clean energy superpower (2024), it is essential to boost the UK’s solar energy generation. We need to get large amounts of renewable energy in the system to generate clean, renewable energy that will contribute towards our energy security and combat climate change.
This is why The Droves Solar Farm (“the Project”) is so important. If consented, the Project could generate up to 500MWac (“Megawatt Alternating Current”) of renewable energy, enough to power approximately 115,000 homes annually. The battery energy storage would help store surplus energy and deploy it to the national grid when needed. It will become a substantial source of clean energy for the country.
Our Proposals
The proposed solar farm is located on land north of Swaffham and south of Castle Acre, West Norfolk. The Project would include a Battery Energy Storage System (“BESS”), so that additional energy generated can be stored and released when needed.
We are still at the early stages of the design, which means that survey work is still being undertaken to identify the exact areas within the Site that will be used for environmental mitigation and enhancement, solar PV panels and associated development.
Due to the size of the potential energy capacity proposed for The Droves Solar Farm, it is classified as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (“NSIP”). The planning permission to build and operate the Project requires IGP to submit a Development Consent Order (“DCO”) application.
Once submitted, The Droves Solar Farm DCO application would be examined by the Planning Inspectorate (“PINS”), the independent body responsible for examining NSIPs. PINS will then make a recommendation to the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero on whether to approve the DCO. The Secretary of State makes the final decision on the DCO application.
The Droves Solar Farm will:
Be a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (“NSIP”) with the potential to generate up to 500MWac of renewable energy, enough to power approximately 115,000 homes annually
Contribute to decarbonisation and energy security
Support local communities and businesses
Protect recreational routes and provide new ways for people to enjoy the countryside
Contribute to nature recovery and respond sensitively to the landscape, including Breckland’s natural resources
Respect cultural heritage
Timeline


We are still at the early stages of the design, which means that survey work is still being undertaken to identify the exact areas within the Site that will be used for environmental mitigation and enhancement, solar PV panels and associated development.
We are considering the suitability of up to 770 hectares to accommodate solar photovoltaic (PV) panels and associated infrastructure. Further to this, we are considering the potential locations for mitigation and enhancement measures.
Access to existing public rights of way will be maintained. We will also aim to make improvements near the site based on the feedback from our consultation. This will help ensure that communities can continue to access and enjoy the local environment and its amenities.
Our appointed ecology team is currently carrying out comprehensive habitat and species surveys to identify any potential biodiversity impacts of the project. These surveys include, but are not limited to, local ecology, birds, bats, reptiles, amphibians and badgers.
Research has shown that ground-mounted solar projects provide major environmental benefits. They provide renewable, low-carbon energy that is good for the planet, while also directly improving local biodiversity by creating new habitats for wildlife and enabling plant life to grow around the panels over time. This compares to the impact of harvesting crops yearly.
The project will be designed to minimise impact on ecological features through their retention and enhancement. New planting would support a diverse range of critical invertebrate species and encourage new species to colonise the margins of the site.
There are potential further opportunities for habitat creation though the implementation of additional wildlife corridors and the installation of bat and bird nesting boxes, hibernacula, woodpiles, and beehives within the margins of the site.
As part of a cultural heritage assessment, we are undertaking archaeological surveys for the project, which we will submit to the Councils’ Archaeologists.
This will provide the information we need to assess if there are any impacts, influence the design of the solar farm and identify an appropriate mitigation strategy if required.
Consultation

Due to the size of the potential energy capacity proposed for the Droves Solar Farm, the Project is classified as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP). The planning permission to build and operate the Project requires IGP to submit a Development Consent Order (DCO) application.
The consultation to support our DCO application is being carried out over two stages.
Stage 1 involved our non-statutory consultation activities. We invited local councillors, technical specialists and community organisations to participate in the early design process and share insights on our proposals during a series of early engagement workshops, held in September and October 2024. Feedback received is helping to shape our more detailed proposals, which we will present during statutory consultation.
A summary of the feedback received can be found in our Workshop Summary Report here.
We will continue to engage with local communities and key stakeholders following our workshops and throughout our statutory consultation.
Stage 2 is when we will carry out our formal ‘statutory’ consultation in line with the requirements of the Planning Act 2008. During the statutory consultation, we will hold public consultation events at venues local to the Site. We will provide materials for members of the public to comment on.
This is currently scheduled to take place in early summer 2025.
Comments received will further inform our Project design before we submit our application to the Planning Inspectorate.
More information regarding the DCO process can be accessed on the Planning Inspectorate website.
Consultation by collaboration
We are a community-led developer and consult closely with local communities, stakeholders and policy makers throughout the Project planning process to understand concerns then use feedback to improve our designs.
As part of our commitment to conducting transparent and effective consultation with local communities, in September and October 2024 we invited local councillors, technical specialists and community organisations to participate in a series of early engagement workshops.
During our statutory consultation, currently scheduled to take place in early summer 2025, we will present our refined Project design and rationale to the community. Feedback from these sessions will then help us further refine our design proposals.

Documents
Copies of all the documents relating to The Droves Solar Farm can be found here:
2025
2024
Have your say
We will launch our statutory consultation in early summer 2025. Throughout the development of our proposals, your feedback will be important to help us shape our plans and ensure the Project delivers lasting benefits to the local community.
Please contact us via email or our community relations freephone to be kept up to date on the progress of our plans and join our mailing list.
You can find more details on our Contact Us page

Contact us
You can contact us at
Community Relations Freephone at

0800 0129 154