Island Green Power is in the early stages of developing a new solar project 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.
We are committed to consulting with the local community on our proposals for the design of the project. As a first stage, we will be inviting local councillors, technical specialists and community organisations to review proposals and participate in early engagement workshops, scheduled to take place in September 2024.
The feedback we receive will then inform the development of more detailed proposals. These will be published and we will invite members of the public to comment during our public (‘statutory’) consultation, expected to be held in spring 2025.
About Island Green Power
Island Green Power is a leading developer of renewable energy projects, with a focus on utility-scale solar farms and battery storage systems. Our mission is to help the UK increase our solar energy generation, making more renewable energy possible and drastically reducing carbon emissions.
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 is so important. It could generate up to 500 megawatts (MWac), enough to power approximately 115,000 homes annually. The battery energy storage component would store surplus energy and supply it to the National Grid as it is 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 will include a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) so that additional energy generated can be stored and released when needed.
We are conducting ongoing land surveys and assessments. As a result, we have not defined the exact use of the land under consideration.
Survey work is being undertaken to identify areas within the solar farm that will be used for environmental enhancement, solar development and cabling.
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 Island Green Power to submit a Development Consent Order (DCO) application.
Once submitted, The Droves Solar Farm DCO application would be examined by the Planning Inspectorate, the independent body responsible for examining NSIPs. They in turn would make a recommendation on the project application to the Secretary of State for the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ). The Secretary of State will then make 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 500MW (Megawatts), 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
Survey work is being undertaken to identify areas within the solar farm that will be used for solar development and areas that will be used for environmental mitigation and enhancement. The Solar Farm will be arranged within the existing field boundaries and the planting of trees and hedgerows will strengthen natural boundaries to provide habitats for local wildlife.
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 Island Green to submit a Development Consent Order (DCO) application.
As part of this, we will be conducting the consultation to support our DCO application over two stages.
Stage 1 is when we will carry out our non-statutory consultation activities. We will invite local councillors, technical specialists and community organisations to participate in the early design process and share insights on our proposals during early engagement workshops, planned for September 2024. Feedback received will help to shape our more detailed proposals.
We will continue to engage with local communities and key stakeholders following our workshops and up until (and beyond) our statutory consultation.
Stage 2 is when will carry out our formal ‘statutory’ consultation in line with the formal requirements of the Planning Act 2008. During the statutory consultation, public consultation events will be held at local venues to the sites and materials will be made available to provide members of the public to comment on.
This is currently scheduled to take place in spring 2025.
These comments, received in the two consultations, will 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 committed to working with local communities as we develop our proposals for The Droves Solar Farm.
As part of the non-statutory consultation and our commitment to conduct transparent and effective consultation with local communities, in September 2024 we invited local councillors, technical specialists and community organisations, to participate in early engagement workshops, as part of the early design process.
Collaborating with the local community while we develop our plans will help us better understand local challenges and aspirations.
Documents
Copies of all the documents relating to The Droves Solar Farm can be found here:
2024
Have your say
We will launch our public consultation in Spring 2025. Throughout the development of proposals, your feedback will be important to help us shape our plans and ensure the project delivers lasting benefit 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 via email
Community Relations Freephone at
0800 0129 154