Published: 10 Aug 2021, 11:04
The Tye Lane site is one of a host announced by EDF recently, including the Cadenham solar farm development (pictured), which the public is currently being consulted on. Image: EDF Renewables.
EDF Renewables has submitted a planning application for another 49.9MW solar farm, continuing its busy run of development.
The solar farm will be built at Tye Lane near Bramford, and was initially announced back in October 2020. A six-week public consultation has now finished, with the French energy giant now having incorporated a number of the changes suggested into the final application submitted to Mid Suffolk District Council.
This includes reducing the height of the solar panels, planting more around the site to act as screening and setting the panels further back.
“We are grateful for the feedback we received during the consultation, and are pleased to have been able to accommodate many excellent suggestions made to us in this final planning application, and mitigate some of the concerns held,” said Darren Cuming, planning and consent manager at EDF Renewables.
“What came through strongly is that people understand that action is needed to tackle the climate and nature emergencies, accept that solar is part of the answer, but want projects to be sensitively developed.”
If planning permission is granted, a community fund of £20,000 will be paid each year for the 35-year lifespan of Tye Lane solar farm. This is double the amount originally proposed during the consultation.
The application follows EDF opening a public consultation for its 49.9MW East Stour Solar Farm in July and the 49.9MW Cadenham solar farm in June. Alongside Tye Lane, the company also announced a consultation on its Bloy’s Grove site in 2020 too.
EDF Renewables received planning permission for its first large-scale UK solar development – the 49.9MW Sutton Bridge development – in March 2021. The company has also acquired the 49.9MW Burwell solar farm from AGR and the 49.9MW Porth Wen project from Countryside Renewables.