The proposals for East Pye Solar have been put forward by Island Green Power, a leading developer of renewable energy projects that specialises in utility-scale and battery storage systems. Our mission is to help countries increase solar energy usage and make more renewable energy generation possible whilst drastically reducing carbon emissions.

At Island Green Power, we manage the entire development process for our renewable energy projects from start to finish, including sourcing land, securing grid connections and obtaining planning consents.

In the past ten years, we have successfully completed over 34 solar projects worldwide, generating one gigawatt of capacity, including 17 projects in the UK and Ireland. Our UK-based team, operating in offices in London and Norfolk, is supported by a network of specialist advisors, consultants and technical experts.  

In all we do, we are committed to responsible land use and believe that the development and commercial delivery of utility-scale solar farms can be achieved in harmony with their surroundings.  

For more information, please visit the Island Green Power website at: www.islandgp.com/

Island Green Power is seeking to bring forward proposals to construct a new utility scale and battery energy storage project on land near Long Stratton in South Norfolk.  

Known as East Pye Solar, the development would comprise the installation of ground-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) panels and a battery energy storage system (BESS), plus infrastructure to connect the Project to the existing 400KV overhead line that runs north to south between Norwich Main and Bramford substations.  

The Project is anticipated as being able to deliver up to 500 megawatts (MW) of electricity. The Project will have an operational life for 60 years and then be decommissioned. This is enough clean, affordable energy to power around 115,000 homes annually.  

The Project is classified as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) and planning permission for such projects will be secured through a Development Consent Order (DCO) which is determined by the Secretary of State at central government level, with the local authorities hosting the development acting as key consultees in that process. 

NSIP scale solar projects are now classified as Critical National Priority (CNP) infrastructure under government policy, given the need to transition to a ‘home grown’ renewable energy supply.

A Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) is a project over a certain size or scale which means it is considered by the Government to be of national importance.

East Pye Solar is classified as a NSIP under the Planning Act 2008 because it has a generation capacity of more than 50MW.

For projects with a generation capacity of less than 50MW a developer is required to apply for planning permission from the relevant local planning authority under the Town and Country Planning Act (TCPA).  

The permitting regime for an NSIP comes under the Planning Act 2008. This means we need to submit an application for a Development Consent Order (DCO) in accordance with the Planning Act 2008 to construct, operate and decommission East Pye Solar, to the Planning Inspectorate rather than a local planning authority.  

In the case of energy related NSIPs the Planning Inspectorate acts on behalf of the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero. It will carry out an examination of our application for development consent for East Pye Solar and then make a recommendation to the Secretary of State on whether to grant consent. The Secretary of State will make the final decision on whether to grant consent for the Project.  

While our DCO application will not be submitted to the local planning authority, Norfolk County Council, South Norfolk Council and stakeholder groups will play a key role in the planning process and be consulted as the Project progresses.  

You can find more information about the application process for NSIPs on the Planning Inspectorate website.

The Project would be located entirely within the administrative boundaries of Norfolk County Council and South Norfolk Council. It is proposed as being built across multiple sites approximately 1,100 hectares (2,718 acres) in area, located south of Norwich and north of Harleston. The solar photovoltaic panels (PV panels) are concentrated east of Long Stratton, with an additional cluster located south of Great Moulton, approximately 6.5km to the southwest of the solar PV panels around Long Stratton. The Great Moulton location has been identified for the potential siting of a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) associated with East Pye Solar, which will have a capacity of up to 500 megawatts (MW).  

The electricity generated by the Project is expected to be exported to the National Grid via an existing overhead line between Norwich Main substation and Bramford substation. This electrical connection will form part of the design for the Project.

We have not yet finalised the layout of the Project at this early stage in the development process, as this will evolve on the findings from environmental and technical surveys we are carrying out and feedback we receive through consultation and engagement. 

Preliminary environmental work is also currently being undertaken to determine where we would locate equipment, with assessments also being carried out to identify those areas that will be set aside to create new habitat and where we will enhance existing habitats, as well as providing buffer zones to maintain a respectful distance between infrastructure and existing homes, landscape, ecological features, and Public Rights of Way. 

We anticipate that the development process through DCO submission and examination will take between two to three years. We intend to submit our DCO application to the Planning Inspectorate (PINS), who will examine the application on behalf of the Secretary of State, in late 2025. Subject to achieving consent, construction would start no earlier than 2027.

The UK has set ambitious climate change targets to achieve net zero carbon emissions and to ensure that the energy supply remains secure, reliable, and affordable. Together with legally binding commitments such as these, the UK Government has further set out how the deployment of renewable technologies such as solar will be accelerated in the Government’s Make Britain a clean energy superpower (2024).

With a potential generation capacity of up to 500 MW, East Pye Solar would make a significant contribution towards achieving this target by helping provide clean, renewable electricity to approximately 115,000 homes and businesses, whilst supporting national targets to decarbonise our electricity systems and bolster our energy security. 

Yes. Public consultation forms an important part of the pre-application process for NSIPs. The adequacy of consultation undertaken on the Project is a key test under the Planning Act 2008 (which will be examined by PINS), and one which a developer must comply with if it is to succeed in gaining a DCO. Early and ongoing consultation will inform and influence the development of our proposals for the Project. Local communities, residents, and councils will have an important role to play.  

We are keen for East Pye Solar to be developed through collaboration with local communities and stakeholders. Early and ongoing consultation will inform and influence the development of our proposals for the Project. Local communities, residents, and councils will have an important role to play.  

The development of our proposals for East Pye Solar will be an iterative process. We anticipate holding at least two phases of community consultation when we will invite views on our proposals. This feedback will be reviewed by the project team to help inform and influence the evolving proposals.  

We are planning to hold an initial phase of community consultation in Autumn 2024. This will be a non-statutory phase of consultation during which time we will share details of our early-stage proposals for the overall project and invite you to tell us what you think. We will use the views and comments you submit during the first stage of consultation, together with the findings from ongoing studies and surveys we are carrying out, to help us shape and refine our proposals.  

Further to developing more detailed proposals for the Project we will carry out a second phase of consultation. This will be a statutory phase of consultation required by the application process for NSIPs. We expect to carry out this second phase of consultation Summer 2025.  

Feedback from this phase, combined with ongoing assessment findings, will help finalise our detailed plans for submission to the Planning Inspectorate. 

The second stage of consultation will likely be the last time we consult on our proposals for East Pye Solar before submission. However, you will be able to register your interest in our proposals when the Project is accepted by the Planning Inspectorate for examination. The Planning Inspectorate will then keep you informed about the progress of our application and next steps. 

For direct updates on the Project and upcoming consultation activity, you can register your details with us here.

As part of the proposals for East Pye Solar, and subject to the Project being granted consent, Island Green Power would offer a community benefit package. Island Green Power is keen to invest into the local area and is committed to working with local communities to identify and define benefits.  

We believe the communities closest to the proposed development should benefit from it – with these communities being best place to recommend what they believe a “community benefit” should be.  

We want to hear your suggestions on local schemes and projects we could support or deliver to benefit those communities closest to the Project. 

The independent National Food Strategy Review shows that solar farms do not present a risk to the UK’s food security.[1] In many cases, the income from solar farms helps farmers to diversify and improve their agricultural operations and, in some cases, maintain the integrity of the farming estate for the longer term. Solar helps address climate change, which is the single biggest threat to food production in the UK. The Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs has estimated that climate change could reduce the UK’s stock of high-grade agricultural land by three quarters by 2050. East Pye Solar would generate low-carbon electricity, helping to address climate change, protecting the UK’s land and improving long-term food security.

[1] https://www.nationalfoodstrategy.org/the-report/

East Pye Solar Limited, a company within the Island Green Power (“IGP”) group of companies, proposes to apply for development consent from the Secretary of State to allow it to construct, operate, maintain and decommission a solar energy and energy storage development. This will be known as East Pye Solar (the ‘Project’).  

IGP has a 10-year track record in successfully delivering utility-scale solar projects and battery storage systems in the UK, Spain, Italy, Australia and New Zealand. As is common practice in the solar industry, East Pye Solar Ltd has been established by IGP as a special purpose vehicle (SPV) to develop the Project. 

At the initial stage of developing proposals for the Project, East Pye Solar Ltd has entered into option agreements with landowners. These agreements put in place legally binding obligations to lease land that is being proposed for solar panels, substations, energy storage and other associated developments relating to the Project.

The option agreements ensure that the land will be available to lease subject to the Project being granted development consent. These agreements are industry standard and provide landowners with certainty and protection over the use of their land while securing development rights for East Pye Solar. The option agreements give East Pye Solar exclusive rights during both the option period and the lease term.

The agreements set out the duration of the option period when East Pye Solar has sole discretion to decide whether to proceed with taking the lease including conditions under which the option can be exercised and the right to carry out surveys. As with any option agreement, landowners during the option period are restricted from entering into similar agreements or granting interests with other parties without East Pye Solar’s consent and are legally obliged to comply with the terms set out in their agreements.   

Whilst the DCO process, can grant a developer Compulsory Purchase powers over land, it is IGP’s intention to deliver the East Pye project solely on land where the owner has agreed to the proposals. 

As a responsible developer, throughout the Project development process, our goal is to work collaboratively with landowners, their land agents and other representatives. Our aim is to ensure that all parties fully understand the legal process including the benefits and obligations from the legal terms and arrangements. 

The design life of East Pye Solar is expected to be approximately 60 years. Therefore, if consent is granted, the permission for it would be temporary.

At the end of the Project's operational life a decommissioning plan will be enacted. This plan will be included in our DCO application for the Project. It will detail the removal of infrastructure and restoration of the site to its original use.

Where cable connections have been laid, in line with industry best practice the cables will be made safe and left in situ. Additionally, the solar panels will be disposed of in line with best practice measures in place at the end of their operational life. Decommissioning will follow technical guidance and best practices.