There are plans for 2 Solar Farms on the edge of Palgrave, known as the PACE / Grange Farm and AURA / Marsh Lane applications.
AURA
Update December 2023. The planning application for the Aura solar farm has been received and will be discussed at the meeting on Thursday 14 December.
The following has been received from Aura in this regard:
Marsh Lane Solar Farm
Planning Application Submitted
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Dear Members of Palgrave Parish Council
I am writing to let you know that the planning application for Marsh Lane Solar Farm has recently been submitted.
The design has evolved through extensive community engagement and we thank everyone for their feedback. Community engagement is an ongoing process and our team is always open to speaking to residents and Councillors who are welcome to contact us at any time.
Please find attached a briefing which we, the applicant and developer, have prepared as a helpful summary of the plans. I have also provided a brief synopsis below for ease:
Proposal Summary
- 30MW solar farm providing enough clean energy to power around 12,000 homes each year
- It will save approximately 11,000 tonnes of CO2 entering the atmosphere compared to electricity generated by gas
- The plans include a number of landscaping and ecology enhancements such as wildflower planting, tree and hedgerow planting and new habitats for birds and invertebrates, which have been calculated to improve the biodiversity on site by 166%
- £12,000 a year community benefit fund to be spent locally
- Construction is expected to take around 6-8 months with access via Lion Road
Why do we need solar farms?
- The UK Government forecasts a deployment of 70GW of solar by 2035 in order to reach legally binding Net Zero targets which cannot be met through rooftop solar alone.
- Solar farms can improve habitats for wildlife, continue agriculture with sheep grazing and improve the fertility of the soil while acting as a stable store of carbon.
- Solar and wind are the cheapest forms of electricity generation and can collectively bring down power prices for everyone.
- Solar farms are temporary (in this case 35 years) and can be completely removed and the land restored to its previous condition at the end of its life.
If you have any questions at all or would like to discuss the proposal further, please do not hesitate to contact me.
We will keep you updated as the plans progress.
Best wishes
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October 2023 no further update in regard to Aura. Aura held an open meeting at Wortham village hall on Tuesday 23 May 2023 with an online webinar on 25 May to discuss their plans with the general public. The full details of their plan can be found on their website via the following link: Marsh Lane Solar Farm. This plan adjoins the Pace application towards Wortham and if both applications were approved, it would result in one of the largest solar fields in the country. A scoping opinion application has been received for consideration June 2023.
PACE
Update 12 Ocober 2023 - Mid Suffolk Planning Committee approved the application, voting 7:1 in favour of it. Pace have given very little ground in their mitigations. A Parish Liasion Group will be formed to work with Pace to try and get the best outcome for Palgrave. You can now read the full planning approval decision should you so wish.