Examination into the largest solar farm in the uk

26 Jul 2022

Planning and Environment

Today, a panel of Inspectors comprising the Examining Authority will hold a Preliminary Meeting as a prelude to beginning a six-month Examination to consider whether to recommend the making of a development consent order for the installation of solar photovoltaic generating panels and electrical battery storage technology on two sites straddling Suffolk and Cambridgeshire near Newmarket in Suffolk.

The Examination hearings were programmed to commence tomorrow but for procedural reasons will now take place later in the year. The Examination will continue into the first quarter of 2023.

The Sunnica East and West sites cover some 981 hectares (2,424 acres) of farmland and are proposed to accommodate solar array and associated infrastructure, which would allow for the delivery of over 50 megawatts of renewable energy over a 40-year lifespan.

The full details of the Project can be found here

Michael Bedford QC appears for Suffolk County Council.

Ruchi Parekh and Ashley Bowes appear for West Suffolk Council.