Yaxley, Eye, Gislingham, Occold & Mellis, Suffolk – Proposed Solar Farm and Battery Energy Storage Development Consultation

EcoPower Suffolk Solar

The Planning Act 2008 – Sections 47 and 48

Regulation 4 of the Infrastructure Planning (Applications: Prescribed Forms and Procedure) Regulations 2009 (the ‘2009 Regulations’) and Regulation 13 of the Infrastructure Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017 (the ‘EIA Regulations’)

Notice of Publication of a Statement of Community Consultation and Notice Publicising a Proposed Application for a Development Consent Order for EcoPower Suffolk Solar

Notice is hereby given that EcoPower Suffolk Limited of 3rd Floor, 10 Foster Lane, London, England, EC2V 6HR (the ‘Applicant’) intends to submit an application (the ‘Proposed Application’) to the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero (the ‘SoS’) for a Development Consent Order (‘DCO’) under section 37 of the Planning Act 2008 (the ‘2008 Act’).

The Proposed Application is for EcoPower Suffolk Solar (the ‘Project’), a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project under sections 14 and 15 of the 2008 Act.

Statement of Community Consultation

Notice is also hereby given that the Applicant has produced a Statement of Community Consultation (SoCC) in accordance with section 47 of the 2008 Act. This notice publicises where and when the SoCC can be inspected.

The SoCC sets out how the Applicant will fulfil its duty to consult with the local community and undertake its consultation with people in the vicinity of the Proposed Application.

Additionally, the Applicant has a duty to publicise the Proposed Application under section 48 of the 2008 Act in accordance with Regulation 4 of the 2009 Regulations. In accordance with those provisions, this notice also summarises the main proposals and explains where the consultation documents can be viewed.

Summary of the Project

The land required for the Project (the ‘Site’) is situated on land near to the settlements of Yaxley, Brome, Eye, Gislingham, Mellis and Occold within the administrative areas of Mid Suffolk District Council (MSDC) and Suffolk County Council (SCC). The Site includes the following five discrete land parcel areas (‘Principal Area’) proposed for the installation of solar PV panels, ecological mitigation or battery energy storage systems (‘BESS’):

• Area 1: Land south of Stuston (Area 1 Stuston);
• Area 2: Land north of Eye (Area 2 Eye);
• Area 3: Land north of Gislingham (Area 3 Gislingham);
• Area 4: Land north of Occold (Area 4 Occold); and
• Area 5: Land south of Thrandeston and north of Mellis (Area 5 Thrandeston and Mellis).

The Site is approximately 1,175 ha (hectares). This comprises approximately 900 ha of land for the Principal Area and 275 ha for the Cable Corridors. Approximately 650 ha of the Principal Area will be for the solar areas and approximately 5 ha has been allowed for the centralised BESS areas.

The Project comprises the construction, operation, maintenance and decommissioning of a ground mounted solar park with a generating capacity of more than 100 (megawatts) of alternating current (AC) capacity. The Project will connect to the National Grid via underground cabling to the Yaxley Substation.

The Project comprises the following key physical elements:

• Solar photovoltaic (PV) modules;
• Solar PV module mounting structures;
• BESS;
• Inverters;
• Transformers;
• Switchgear;
• Substations;
• On-site cabling;
• Biodiversity and landscaping enhancement, including environmental mitigation;
• Maintenance and welfare facilities;
• Fencing, boundary treatments, security measures and lighting;
• Drainage and utility works; and
• Highway works including temporary and permissive access tracks.

The proposed DCO would authorise (among other things), if required:

• the compulsory acquisition of land and/or rights in, on, under or over land required for the Project, as well as rights authorising the temporary occupation of land for the Project;
• the extinguishment and/or overriding of easements and other rights over or affecting land required for the Project;
• the application and/or disapplication of legislation relevant to the Project;
• the diversion or temporary stopping up of public rights of way during construction works;
• such associated and ancillary works, provisions, permits and consents as are required for the construction, operation, maintenance and decommissioning of the Project.

EIA Development

The Project is an Environmental Impact Assessment (‘EIA’) development as defined by the EIA Regulations and an Environmental Statement (‘ES’) will form part of the Proposed Application. The Applicant has notified the SoS in writing under Regulation 8(1)(b) of the EIA Regulations that it intends to provide an ES in respect of the Project. The ES will provide a detailed description of the Project and its likely significant environmental effects. Information compiled so far about the Project’s likely significant environmental impacts is contained in the Preliminary Environmental Information (PEI), which forms part of the consultation material.

Consultation on the proposals will take place from 22 June to 16 August 2026 (the ‘Consultation Period’). Responses must be received no later than 11:59pm on 16 August 2026 and responses received after that date may not be considered.

The consultation documents show the nature and location of the Project and include plans, maps, and the PEI, among other documents (the ‘Consultation Documents’). The Consultation Documents will be available to view or download free of charge from www.ecopowersuffolk.com (the ‘Project Website’) throughout the duration of the Consultation Period, from 22 June to 11:59pm on 16 August 2026. The Consultation Documents can be accessed under the ‘document library’ tab.

How to view the Consultation Documents

All Consultation Documents will be available online to view on the Project Website (www.ecopowersuffolk.com). A hard copy of the Consultation Documents can also be supplied, but there will be a reasonable charge of £0.40 per page to cover the printing and postage costs associated with this. Upon request, all documents can be made available in alternative formats, such as large print and alternative languages. To request copies of the Consultation Documents or for other enquiries, please contact the Applicant using the e-mail address, postal address or telephone number provided at the end of this notice.

Hard copies of the Consultation Information Booklet and Feedback Form will be available to take away at the locations listed below. A paper copy of the SoCC (for reference only) will also be available to view free of charge at the locations listed below during the Consultation Period.

The opening times of these venues are dependent on and are governed by the venues. Please contact the venue before visiting.

The Applicant is hosting six public consultation events, comprising three in-person events and three online webinars to be held as follows (please get in touch to register, using the contact details at the end of this notice). The Consultation Documents will also be available to view at the in-person events:

• Gislingham Village Hall, Mill Street, Gislingham, IP23 8JX, Friday 26 June 2026, 3–7pm.
• Occold Village Hall, Mill Road, Occold, IP23 7PL, Saturday 27 June 2026, 11am–3pm.
• Statutory Consultation Webinar #1, Monday 29 June, 6–7pm.
• Eye Community Centre, 25 Magdalen Street, Eye, IP23 7AJ, Friday 03 July 2026, 3–7pm.
• Statutory Consultation Webinar #2, Thursday 16 July, 6–7pm.
• Statutory Consultation Webinar #3, Monday 27 July, 2–3pm.

How to respond to the consultation

Comments and representations may be submitted in the following ways:

Feedback Questionnaire: Complete or download the Feedback Questionnaire on the project website www.ecopowersuffolk.com; or it can be completed and left at one of the Consultation Events; or by request from the project team either at events or via phone or email.

By email or post: Completed Feedback Questionnaires, and any other comments, can be emailed to contact@ecopowersuffolk.com or returned by post (no stamp required) to FREEPOST EcoPower Suffolk.

Responses must be received by the Applicant by no later than 11:59pm on 16 August 2026. When providing your response, please include your name and address or, if you would prefer your comments to be anonymous, your postcode only. Please also confirm the nature of your interest in the Project.

The Applicant will consider and have regard to all responses when developing the proposals for the Project once the consultation has closed. Responses will be reported in a Consultation Report which will form part of the Proposed Application. This will be taken into consideration by the Planning Inspectorate when deciding whether the Application can be accepted for examination. Therefore, in providing any comment, it should be noted that the substance of it may be communicated to others as part of the Consultation Report.

Personal data supplied to the Applicant in response to this consultation will be treated confidentially and processed and handled in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018 and the UK GDPR. The information may be disclosed to or shared with the Applicant’s connected companies, agents, contractors and advisors who provide services to the Applicant in connection with the preparation of the Proposed Application. This will allow the Applicant to fully consider the responses and use them in the preparation of application materials. Upon submission of the Proposed Application, the SoS may require the Applicant to supply copies of all consultation responses received. If a request is made, the Applicant is under a legal obligation to supply such copies. By submitting a consultation response to the Applicant, you understand that we may supply a copy of your response to the SoS via the Planning Inspectorate if required.

How to contact us

If you have any questions about this notice, the consultation, or the Project, please contact the Applicant using one of the contact methods provided below:

Email: contact@ecopowersuffolk.com

Telephone: 0800 0129 164

Postal address: FREEPOST EcoPower Suffolk (no stamp needed)

June 2026