The development consenting regime for an NISP comes under the Planning Act 2008. This means that we need to submit an application for a Development Consent Order (DCO) to construct, operate and decommissioning East Pye Solar to the Planning Inspectorate (PINS) rather than the local authority.

In the case of energy related NSIPS, PINS acts on behalf of the Secretary of State for the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero. PINS will carry out an examination of our application and then will make a final recommendation to the Secretary of State on whether to grant consent for East Pye Solar.

We anticipate the development process through DCO submission and examination will take between two to three years. We submitted our DCO application to PINS, who will administer the application on behalf of the Secretary of State, in March 2026. Subject to achieving consent, construction would start no earlier than 2028.

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

You can find more information about the application process for NSIPs on PINS’ website here.

Please see below our timeline, noting that all dates are indicative and may be subject to change.