Suffolk communities urged to have their say on White Elm solar farm proposals
The council are encouraging residents to respond to consultation on 675-acre energy project across Mendlesham, Wickham Skeith and Thwaite
Residents in Suffolk are being asked to respond to a public consultation on plans for a new 675-acre solar farm across the parishes of Mendlesham, Wickham Skeith and Thwaite.
The project, known as the White Elm solar farm, is being proposed by Elmya RPC UK Grange Road Limited. A non-statutory consultation will run between 19 May and 30 June 2025, before a final application is submitted to the Planning Inspectorate in around a year’s time.
Suffolk County Council is urging local communities to take part, warning that there will be limited opportunities to comment before the final plans are submitted.
The site lies around five miles south of the location proposed for another large-scale solar farm, covering 1,500 acres near Yaxley, which the county council has formally objected to.
The council has stated that it will oppose the White Elm project if it affects high-quality farmland, which it believes should be protected for food production. It is also calling for solar developers to prioritise rooftop installations over rural land and to rule out links to forced labour in supply chains.
Councillor Richard Rout, the council’s Cabinet Member for Devolution, Local Government Reform and NSIPs, said: “I’m sure that the reaction of many Suffolk residents, will be ‘here we go again’. I have complete sympathy with them, especially as this is another application which is going to move very quickly.
“My message to local communities is to get fully involved with the detail of this non-statutory consultation. Do object and give clear reasons why, but also make constructive suggestions to amend and improve the plans in case it goes ahead, despite opposition from local people and councils. You can do both without compromising your objection.”
A further concern is the need for a new National Grid substation to support the White Elm project. National Grid has not yet confirmed where this would be located.
Elmya Energy has said the site would connect to the grid using existing pylons between Norwich and Bramford, not the planned Norwich to Tilbury line.
Councillor Rout added: “I’m extremely disappointed that National Grid has not been able to provide an indication of where the substation will be sited.
“It is a significant piece of infrastructure which could have sizable cable corridor runs, impacting even more people – how can local communities be in a position to respond when they don’t know where it might be?
“But I shouldn’t be surprised at this lack of information from National Grid, when we’ve already experienced their lack of coordination between their own projects like Sea Link and LionLink.”
The White Elm solar farm is classed as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project. This means final decisions on the application will be made by the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, the Rt Hon Ed Miliband. Local councils will be consultees only.
More information, including how to respond to the consultation, is available at: www.whiteelmsolarfarm.com.