East Pye Solar Project

Specialist compulsory purchase solicitor, Catherine Hibbert, discusses the proposed East Pye Solar Project, and how this could affect existing landowners.

Island Green Power, the company behind a range of renewable energy projects across the UK and Ireland, is progressing plans to deliver a new solar park, comprising ground mounted solar photovoltaic panels, an on-site battery energy storage facility and associated infrastructure in South Norfolk to connect to the existing 400kV overhead line that runs north/south between Norwich and Bramford.

It is proposed to build the East Pye Solar Project across multiple largely rural sites totalling approximately 1,100 hectares (2,718 acres) in area, located entirely within the County of Norfolk, south of Norwich and north of Harleston. The solar sites are concentrated east of Long Stratton, with an additional cluster located south of Great Moulton, approximately 6.5km to the southwest of the solar sites around Long Stratton. Great Moulton has been identified as the potential location of a Battery Energy Storage System to serve the solar park.

If approved, East Pye Solar has the potential to provide up to 500MW of renewable energy which will contribute to current national aspirations to meet the Net Zero targets; the promoters anticipate that up to 115,000 homes could be completely powered by this facility.

The design life of East Pye Solar is expected to be 60 years, after which it is proposed that the infrastructure will be removed and the site restored to its original use in accordance with a decommissioning plan.

Due to its scale and nature, East Pye Solar will need to be authorised via the development consenting regime for a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs); the promoter plans to submit an application to the Planning Inspectorate towards the end of 2025 after a round of statutory public consultation scheduled for mid-2025; there will be a public examination to consider the evidence for and against this proposal  before the Planning Inspector makes a final recommendation to the Secretary of State on whether to grant consent. If approved, the promoter plans that construction should get underway after late 2027 / early 2028.

Informal consultation with affected communities to date has revealed local concerns about landscape and visual impacts, biodiversity, loss of agricultural land, traffic and transport, socioeconomics, amenity and tourism, cultural heritage, water resources flood risk, etc.

There are ongoing opportunities for those affected by the East Pye Solar proposal to engage with the promoter to help shape the proposals and/or object to the proposals formally. If you have concerns about how the East Pye Solar Project may affect your home or business and need advice, please contact one of our dedicated team of compulsory purchase/development consent solicitors at Holmes & Hills who will be pleased to discuss your concerns and advise you on any steps you can take to protect your interests.