Sunnica Solar Farm approved by Ed Miliband

Yesterday, Friday 12 July, the new Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Ed Miliband, granted development consent to the Sunnica Solar Farm in West Suffolk and East Cambridgeshire.

Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on Unsplash

Late yesterday afternoon, we had the disappointing news that Ed Miliband has approved the Sunnica Solar Farm proposal.

This scheme will take over 2,000 acres of farmland out of food production and permanently change a unique landscape shaped by agriculture and horse racing. The approval is despite objections from all the relevant local councils, the local community, local amenity groups and Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service, who cited concerns around fire risk and battery storage. It is a shocking and disappointing decision that does not bode well for our region’s countryside and rural communities.

Moreover, the decision to approve was contrary to the recommendation of the independent Planning Inspectorate, following an Examination in Public last year. They stated, the ‘disbenefits are not outweighed by the public benefit’. In short, that the Sunnica scheme does more harm than good.

I’ve led on Suffolk’s response to Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects since 2018. This has included Sizewell C, the Scottish Power Renewables wind farms, new pylon runs and interconnector projects. I can say with clear conscience that the Sunnica scheme is the worst of any proposal I’ve dealt with.

Sunnica didn’t hold briefings with some of the affected parish councils, such as Chippenham. Information webinars were poorly promoted and run. They refused to meet with local farmers to discuss the quality of the local land. They refused to meet with the then local MP and councillors when invited. The materials they produced were poor quality, hard to understand and maps weren’t labelled properly. The list goes on. And that was just the process.

Now approved, this scheme will permanently change the landscape in west Suffolk and east Cambridgeshire.

Despite the term ‘temporary’, a 40-year consent is permanent to anyone living nearby. The 24-month construction period will have a huge detrimental impact on local communities and narrow country roads. Furthermore, because of how poorly presented the scheme was, and how little the mitigation measures were tailored to the local context, it is impossible for us to yet fully understand the impact the scheme will have on communities.

There were thousands of objections and responses to the scheme. The new Secretary of State cannot possibly have properly considered them in the seven days since his appointment, nor can he have credibly formed a view as to why he should go against the recommendation of the Planning Inspectorate.   

We only received the news late on Friday, now it is time for local councils and community groups to fully study the decision notice and take a view on next steps. Thus far, local councils and I have stood shoulder to shoulder with the Say No to Sunnica group and, alongside the new MP for West Suffolk, Nick Timothy, I’ve no doubt that we will continue to do so.

This decision, sadly, looks to be a marker of things to come. The new government’s target to decarbonise the grid by 2030, rather than 2035 under the Conservatives, will be a huge driver. It is an unrealistic target and one that boxes the Secretary of State into a corner. A corner that will pit him against local communities with no breathing space for a just transition to clean energy or a fair deal for communities. I’ll write more on this in the coming weeks.

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