The Droves Solar Farm Limited, a subsidiary of Island Green Power (IGP) is bringing forward proposed plans for a solar farm with battery energy storage located on land north of Swaffham and south of Castle Acre, West Norfolk.
We have undertaken extensive land surveys and assessments to determine the proposed Site layout and refine the detailed design.
Engagement to date
During the early stages of the project, we held introductory meetings with key stakeholders who have expert knowledge of the local area. This engagement helped us understand potential concerns and opportunities at the Site and its surrounding context. Our early efforts also included a series of workshops and communications with the landowner and nearby properties.
This engagement was essential for the preparation and refinement of our more detailed proposals, which we presented as part of our statutory and targeted consultations. We then submitted our Development Consent Order (“DCO”) application in November 2025.
Following the submission of our application, the Planning Inspectorate determined that it meets the required standards for Examination, meaning we have now entered the pre-Examination phase.
The project page on the Planning Inspectorate’s website can be found here and will be updated throughout the Examination period: https://national-infrastructure-consenting.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/projects/EN0110013
About Island Green Power
Established in 2013, Island Green Power (IGP) is a leading developer of utility-scale solar projects and battery storage systems. We deliver renewable energy solutions that create lasting value for the communities we serve, protecting the environment while fostering economic growth and energy independence.
Since launch, we have successfully developed nearly 40 solar and battery projects worldwide that have generated more than 3GW of energy capacity, with many now owned by the largest solar investors. This includes 21 projects in the UK. These range in size from below 5 MW to Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) such as Cottam Solar, one of the UK’s largest consented solar projects.
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 the latest 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 500 MWac (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.
Our Proposals
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
Map
During the early design stages, we considered the suitability of up to 825 hectares to accommodate environmental mitigation and enhancement, solar PV panels and associated development.
We shared our Indicative Masterplan during the statutory consultation held in May to July 2025.
The Indicative Masterplan provided more detail on the Project, including the areas under consideration for solar PV panels, associated infrastructure and mitigation and enhancement measures. We invited people to share their feedback on the indicative layout to help us to further refine our detailed designs.
As a result of the findings of ongoing surveys and assessments and consultation feedback, a number of localised changes to the proposed development boundary were identified.
We shared the proposed changes and design refinements during our targeted consultation in September and October 2025.
The targeted consultation materials, including the proposed boundary change plan, can be found here.
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 has been carried out over three 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 are now presenting as part of our statutory consultation.
A summary of the feedback received can be found in our Workshop Summary Report here.
Stage 2 is when we carried out our formal ‘statutory’ consultation in line with the requirements of the Planning Act 2008. The statutory consultation included a number of public events held at venues local to the Site.
Information materials were provided at all events for the public to comment on. The feedback received helped us to refine our Project design, ahead of submitting our application to the Planning Inspectorate.
More information regarding the DCO process can be accessed on the Planning Inspectorate website.
Stage 3 invited local councillors, technical specialists and community organisations to participate in a targeted consultation on a number of proposed localised changes to the boundary and design of the Project.
These updates reflected the findings of ongoing surveys and assessments, as well as feedback received during the statutory consultation.
Our targeted consultation was held in September and October 2025. The information materials can be viewed here.
Participating in theExamination process
Our application remains at the pre-Examination stage until Wednesday 6 May 2026, when the Preliminary Meeting will be held. Following that Preliminary Meeting, we anticipate that the Examining Authority will open the Examination of the Project.
The purpose of the Preliminary Meeting is to allow views to be put to the Examining Authority on how the application should be examined. The will therefore limit the meeting to matters relating to the procedure for examining the application.
Interested parties can register to participate in the Preliminary Meeting by completing the event participation form by Wednesday 22 April 2026. If you only wish to observe the meeting virtually, you do not need to register.
The Preliminary Meeting will be available to watch via livestream, and a recording will be published on the website. It will also be available to attend in person, but (as noted above) to support arrangements for seating at the venue, observers are required to register by Wednesday 22 April 2026.
Those who are unable to attend the Preliminary Meeting can submit written comments to the Examining Authority to participate in the Examination.
As an interested party, you may submit a written representation and comment on the written representations made by other interested parties during the . You will also have the opportunity to participate in any hearings that are held, including those scheduled for Wednesday 6 May and Thursday 7 May 2026, as noted above.
After the Preliminary Meeting, a Rule 8 Letter will be published by the Examining Authority to set out the finalised Examination timetable. A note of the Preliminary Meeting will also be published on the project website.
Throughout the Examination process, we recommend checking the project page on the Planning Inspectorate’s website regularly for the most up-to-date information about the Examination process and key dates. The project page on the Planning Inspectorate’s website can be found here:
https://national-infrastructure-consenting.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/projects/EN0110013
If you have any questions about registering or the Examination process, please contact our Community Relations Team at info@drovessolarfarm.co.uk or 0800 0129 154
Interested Parties will be kept informed about the progress of the Examination and may be invited to attend the Preliminary Meeting and any hearings held during the Examination. The Preliminary Meeting will be chaired by the Examining Authority and will set out how the Examination will be conducted and the timetable to be followed.
Even if you are automatically an Interested Party, for example, because you have an interest in land affected by the application or your organisation is a Prescribed Body, you are encouraged to submit a Relevant Representation so that your views are available to the Examining Authority at an early stage.
After the close of the registration period, all representations will be published on the project page on the Planning Inspectorate’s website.
Throughout the Examination process, we recommend checking the project page on the Planning Inspectorate’s website regularly for the most up-to-date information about the Examination process and key dates. The project page can be found here:
https://national-infrastructure-consenting.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/projects/EN0110013
If you have any questions about registering or the Examination process, please contact our Community Relations Team at info@drovessolarfarm.co.uk or 0800 0129 154.
Documents
Copies of consultation documents relating to The Droves Solar Farm can be found here.
All documents submitted as part of our DCO application are available to view via the Planning Inspectorate website.
2025
Targeted Consultation Materials
Statutory Consultation Materials
PEIR
Volume 1
Volume 2
Volume 3
Volume 4
Volume 5
Other Materials
2024
December 2024
Workshop Summary Report
October 2024
The Droves Solar Farm Newsletter
October 2024
Droves Solar Farm Codesign Presentation
October 2024
Flood Zones Plan
October 2024
Groundwater Source Protection Zones
October 2024
Drinking Water Protected Area Plan
October 2024
Habitats and Ecological Features
October 2024
Site Plan
October 2024
Socio-economics Plan
October 2024
Location Plan A3
October 2024
Designated Heritage Assets Plan
October 2024
Geophysical Interpretation Results
October 2024
Topography
October 2024
Landscape Character
October 2024
Recreational Access
October 2024
Existing Field Access Points Plan
October 2024
Fig 1 - Designated Heritage Assets Study, 1:30,000 scale
October 2024
Geophysical Survey Interpretation
Have your say
Throughout the development of our proposals, your feedback has been important in helping 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