A ‘technical error’ in planning approval for the £600m Sunnica solar farm to be built on the Cambridgeshire/Suffolk border could end up costing local council taxpayers hundreds of thousands of pounds.
The warning came from Cambridgeshire County Council who said they – and three other local councils – could be forced into picking up the tab unless the Government corrects the permission.
Cllr Lorna Dupre, chair of Cambridgeshire County Council’s environment and green investment committee: “We have already expressed our disappointment at the decision to grant permission for this large development, which will have a huge effect on residents and businesses as well as the local environment.
“The prospect of this huge development is of deep concern to those of us in East Cambridgeshire.
“Furthermore, an error within the planning approval has not accounted for the extensive technical and administrative input needed from the four local authorities affected by Sunnica’s proposals.
“This means that local people could not only face development all around them but could also be asked to pick up the tab for developers’ ambitions.
“These private company’s plans cannot be carried out at public cost to local taxpayers.”
Cambridgeshire County Council has joined with other local authorities affected by the Sunnica decision to call on the government to correct the error that could otherwise “cost local taxpayers hundreds of thousands of pounds”.
Cambridgeshire County Council, East Cambridgeshire District Council, Suffolk County Council and West Suffolk Council have agreed to send a legal letter to express their concern that Sunnica developers could avoid meeting the costs of the burden their plans for the UK’s largest solar farm will place on local authorities.
Developers Sunnica were granted permission for site over 2,400 acres, with more than 50MW of solar energy creation and battery storage on the Cambridgeshire/Suffolk border by the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Ed Miliband MP on Friday, 12 July 2024.
Cambridgeshire County Council previously passed a motion on the 20 July 2021 stating the authority’s opposition to Sunnica’s proposals.
Cllr Nick Gay, vice chair of the environment and green investment committee, said: “Renewable energy is essential for our future.
‘Cleaner, greener future for everyone’
“I’m pleased to see that the new government is taking the tough choices necessary for our energy security, but we must look to see that this administrative error is corrected as soon as possible, so our officers can work effectively with Sunnica, as we pursue a cleaner, greener future for everyone.”
Cllr Mark Goldsack, local member for Soham North and Isleham said: “We have been shocked by the Secretary of State’s decision to grant permission for Sunnica and the developer’s ambitions for an industrial scale energy farm spread across such vast swathes of our countryside.
“The council’s legal challenge to the developers is a step in the right direction to challenge this decision and recognise the economic, environmental and personal cost to local people.”
The development plans include ground-mounted solar panels and large-scale battery storage facilities across land near Burwell, Isleham, Chippenham, Fordham, Kennett and Snailwell in East Cambridgeshire as well as areas of West Suffolk. Sunnica have permission for a connection of up to 500MW at the Burwell National Grid Substation.
East Cambridgeshire District Council says it taken independent legal advice to understand the chances of success of a Judicial Review of the decision-making process.
“The district council has worked closely with Suffolk County and West Suffolk councils, both of which also took their own independent legal advice; all three legal opinions are in accordance with each other,” said a council spokesperson.
“The advice received by all three councils is that there is an opportunity for the councils to challenge the funding mechanism required to undertake the final stages of work.
“Therefore, the four affected councils, including Cambridgeshire County Council, have now written to the Secretary of State advising him of our challenge.
Council leader Anna Bailey said: “We are shocked that the Secretary of State has given the go ahead for this massive development on food production land in rural East Cambridgeshire and the council is now facing huge increased cost in dealing with this matter, which hasn’t been taken into account in the decision.
“It is extremely disappointing that after years of making the clear case that a solar farm of this magnitude is in the wrong place and winning that argument at the hearing, the Secretary of State decided to grant a development order against the wishes of the community, the four affected councils, and against the expert advice of the Examiner.
“There is currently no direct benefit to our communities from this site. It is deemed to have a significant impact on our communities, and there are also biodiversity concerns. Added to this, unlike other solar farms, residents will not benefit from cheaper energy, nor will the council receive any potential business rates income from the facility.
“This council is completely supportive of renewable energy. This has been demonstrated by our approval of renewable energy schemes on land outside of Burwell and Soham over the past few years.
2020: Lucy Frazer and Matt Hancock submitting a joint response to Sunnica’s statutory consultation setting out their opposition to their proposals to build the largest solar farm in the UK.“But it’s imperative such schemes are in the right place and are right for the communities in which they are located.
“Miliband has picked a fight with rural communities over solar, and it’s all so unnecessary,” Say NO to Sunnica said in a statement after the solar farm was approved.
