The proposals for East Pye Solar have been put forward by Island Green Power, a leading developer of renewable energy projects specialising in utility-scale solar and battery storage systems.

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 delivered over 34 solar projects worldwide that have generated more than 3GW of energy capacity, with many now owned by the largest solar investors. This includes 20 solar projects in the UK. These range in size from below 5 MW to Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) such as Cottam, currently the UK’s largest consented solar project. Cottam will generate 600 MW of clean, renewable and secure electricity and includes 600 MW of Battery Storage that will store then release energy as needed.

We currently have a project pipeline of 22.4 GW, comprising 10.4 GW of solar and 12 GW of battery storage. This has the potential to supply up to 13GW to the grid.

As a developer, we oversee the entire development process, including securing grid connections, sourcing land and obtaining planning consents. This includes consulting with local communities, stakeholders and policymakers as well as technical experts at multiple stages during the development of our projects to ensure they will enhance the biodiversity of the sites.

In all we do, we are committed to being the leading innovator in sustainable,clean energy development by pioneering solutions that facilitate the energy transition, conserve the plant’s ecosystems and empower local communities.

As is common for projects such as this, we have established East Pye Solar Limited as a special purpose vehicle for developing the proposals. 

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

East Pye Solar Limited, a 100% subsidiary of IGP UK Projects Limited, is proposing plans for a utility scale solar and battery energy storage system (BESS) on land near Long Stratton in South Norfolk, England.

The Scheme comprises the construction, operation and maintenance and decommissioning of ground-mounted solar PV panels and associated development, including a battery energy storage system (BESS), a number of 132kV substations located with the solar array sites, two 400kV substations and grid connection infrastructure including a new National Grid substation, the relocation of an existing overhead line and new or replacement pylons.

Underground cables will run between the solar array sites within the Cable Route Corridor (CRC) to connect the BESS Site and the new National Grid Substation Site (the Scheme’s Point of Connection).

The Scheme is anticipated as being able to deliver approximately 500 megawatts (MW) of renewable electricity to the National Grid and store up to 500 megawatt-hours (MWh) of energy in the BESS.

The operational phase of the Scheme is expected to be 60 years. At the end of this period, a decommissioning plan will be enacted. This plan will require the removal of the solar PV panels, substation(s) and the BESS, and the restoration of the Site to its original use. The new National Grid Substation will be retained as it will form part of the transmission network.

The Scheme 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.

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 Scheme (including the Sites, sub-Sites and the Cable Route Corridor) covers approximately 2,232 hectares of land south of Norwich and north of Harleston. The total area of the Sites and Sub-Sites is approximately 1,097 hectares.

The Scheme is group into Sites 1 to 10, the National Grid Substation Site and the BESS Site. Sites 3 to 10 are concentrated to the east of Long Stratton, with an additional cluster of land parcels including Sites 1 and 2, and the BESS Site and National Grid Substation Sie located south of Great Moulton, approximately 6.5km to the South West.

The siting of the new National Grid Substation is the National Grid Substation Site and the National Grid Substation Option 2 Site.

Currently, the Scheme includes a Cable Route Corridor (CRC). This is the broad area within which we are seeking to install the cable route connections between the solar PV panels and the new National Grid Substation, where the Scheme will connect to the National Grid. Through consultation and further design, the CRC has been further refined since Phase One consultation, and will be further refined ahead of submitting the DCO application.

The proposed Scheme area (referred to as the Site) is shown on the Scheme Overview page. This map shows the current extent of land required for the Scheme.

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).

The Scheme has the potential to:

• Power the equivalent of 115,000 homes annually;

• Contribute to climate targets and the decarbonisation of our electricity supply;

• Boost Norfolk’s emerging renewable energy industry, securing clean, affordable energy while providing investment and job opportunities in the county;

• Enhance the natural environment by delivering a net gain in biodiversity; and

• Provide community and local benefits for the surrounding area, with a commitment to work with the local community to identify and define community benefits.

Our ambition is for East Pye Solar to be developed through collaboration with local communities and stakeholders and we will use community consultation to inform and influence the development of our proposals. Local communities, residents, and councils will have an important role to play. 

We are committed to engaging openly throughout the development process, carrying out clear, comprehensive and accessible public consultation before we submit our application. The development of our proposals for the Scheme will therefore be an iterative process; structured to make sure that people receive information at the right time so they can have the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to the process from an early stage.

Before submitting our application for development consent to the Planning Inspectorate, we plan to conduct two phases of consultation to invite feedback on proposals.

We held an initial phase of ‘non-statutory’ consultation in November and December 2024. While not formally required, this first phase of consultation was intended to provide local communities and interested parties with the opportunity to gain an understanding of the Scheme we are proposing so they could tell us any issues or concerns they would like us to consider as we progress with the design of the Scheme.

You can find out more about Phase One consultation by clicking here.

The next phase of consultation we carry out (Phase Two) will be statutory consultation, as required by the application process for NSIPs. This statutory consultation will run for seven weeks, from Wednesday 18 June to Wednesday 6 August 2025, and includes a series of in-person and online information events.

During Phase Two, people will have the opportunity to comment on our updated proposals and how they have evolved since the first phase of consultation. We will review our detailed proposals in light of feedback we receive from this second consultation, along with the outcomes from ongoing assessments, so we can finalise and submit our application for development consent to the Planning Inspectorate.

You can find out more about the upcoming Phase Two consultation by clicking here, including details on the information events we are holding in July 2025.

Ahead of the Phase Two consultation launching, we have worked with South Norfolk Council and Norfolk County Council to develop a Statement of Community Consultation, setting out how we plan to engage with and obtain feedback from local communities and residents on our detailed proposals for the Scheme.

The Statement of Community Consultation is now available for you to view on our Documents webpage linked here.

In addition to supporting the national ambition to decarbonise our electricity system and create a source of clean, renewable energy, we are committed to working with the local community to identify ways to deliver benefits to the local area with direct funding for local causes. As part of this early-stage of consultation, we are inviting suggestions for local schemes and projects we could support – including both on-site and off-site initiatives.

These community benefits will be in addition to on-site environmental mitigation and enhancements that will be included in the Scheme’s design. They will include measures to protect existing ecological features such as woodland, hedgerows and ponds, and deliver biodiversity net gain by, for example, additional planting to encourage more native wildlife, increased habitats and food sources for insects and birds and maintenance of wildlife corridors. We are keen to explore opportunities for public access and recreation such as by improving existing footpaths, creating educational walk boards, wildflower meadow planting, adding seating or bird watching areas. This could be introducing new permissive paths across and around the site area. We encourage feedback from anyone who has ideas on this topic.

Off-site initiatives could include support for improvements to existing amenities such as recreational and sports facilities or through other forms of collaboration with local community groups.

As a developer, we are also conscious of trying to make sure, should our planning application be approved, that the mechanisms put in place for local communities to access any benefits, are not complex and do not discourage communities from seeking those benefits.

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 ‘Scheme’).  

Since our launch in 2013, we have successfully delivered over 34 solar projects worldwide that have generated more than 3GW of energy capacity, with many now owned by the largest solar investors. This includes 20 solar projects in the UK. These range in size from below 5 MW to Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) such as Cottam, currently the UK’s largest consented solar project. Cottam will generate 600 MW of clean, renewable and secure electricity and includes 600 MW of Battery Storage that will store then release energy as needed.

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 Scheme. 

At the initial stage of developing proposals for the Scheme, 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 Scheme.

The option agreements ensure that the land will be available to lease subject to the Scheme 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 our intention to deliver the East Pye project on land where the owner has agreed to its use.

As a responsible developer, throughout the Scheme 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 period of consent, the land returns to agricultural use. 

At the end of the Scheme’s operational life a decommissioning plan will be enacted. This plan will be included in our DCO application for the Scheme. It will detail the removal of infrastructure and restoration of the site to its original use. Funding to deliver this decommissioning plan will be set aside at the start of the Scheme’s life.

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.

As part of the Scheme, we will undertake a land referencing process to identify people and organisations that have a legal interest in land or property potentially impacted by the Scheme.

The process begins with obtaining registered freehold and leasehold titles from HM Land Registry (HMLR). We then verify this information by issuing a populated Land Interest Questionnaire (LIQ) to identified parties. The LIQ also seeks details on land ownership and any unregistered rights, such as agricultural tenancies or leaseholders not recorded at HMLR. The LIQ is an important part of a planning application for a Development Consent Order (DCO), helping to ensure all land interests are accurately recorded and represented in the planning process.

Under the Planning Act 2008, there is a statutory obligation to identify and consult with people and organisations who have a legal interest that may be affected by the Scheme.

Completing the LIQ allows you to be consulted on the Development Consent Order (DCO) application and ensures you receive formal notifications, including when the application is accepted for Examination.

Land referencing during the pre-application stage ensures that all relevant land interests are identified and included in the Phase Two (statutory) consultation process.

A legal interest includes, but is not limited to:

• Freeholders, leaseholders, tenants or occupiers of land or property

• Those with rights over land, such as private rights of way, sporting rights, easements (e.g. for pipes, cables or services)

• Those with an option to purchase land or receive payments from the land (e.g. rent charges or restrictive covenants)

We identify potential legal interests through desktop research using publicly available sources, including the HM Land Registry, Companies House and Royal Mail.

The LIQ includes information gathered through our research and we will ask you to:

• Review the information provided in the letter

• Confirm that it is accurate

• Amend any incorrect details

• Add any missing information, including other rights or occupiers, where applicable

This information can be provided online. Each LIQ letter includes a QR code which, when scanned, links to an online version of your personalised LIQ.

Dalcour Maclaren, East Pye Solar Limited and trusted third parties involved in the DCO process will access and process your data solely for the purposes related to the Scheme and in accordance with data protection legislation. For more information about Dalcour Maclaren's Privacy Policy or to review Dalcour Maclaren's Privacy Statement, please visit their website here.

The Book of Reference is a statutory document that includes the names and addresses (but is legally required to not include phone numbers or email addresses) of all identified land interests. East Pye Solar Limited will be required to make a Book of Reference available for public inspection and to submit it to the Planning Inspectorate, which may publish it during the Examination phase.

If we do not receive your completed LIQ by the deadline stated, we will attempt to contact you up to three further times via telephone, email, reminder letters, or a site visit.

If you choose not to respond, there is a risk that your land interests may be inaccurately recorded or omitted, which could affect our ability to mitigate potential impacts on your interests.