Gressingham Foods solar farm in Redgrave approved as concerns fall on deaf ears

A 17-acre solar farm for a Suffolk food producer, famous for its breed of duck, has been approved, despite objections by some of its soon-to-be neighbours.

Mid Suffolk District Council approved plans by Gressingham Foods in Redgrave, and Centrica Business Solutions, to construct solar panels on four of the site’s buildings and use more than 15.5 acres of land south of its factory.

The business, which makes around £100 million a year, says the project will generate 3.53mw of power – enough to power around 3,500 homes – and have a lifespan of 25 years.

But some villagers have voiced their concerns at the plans.

In a written submission to the council’s planning team, one objector said: “This proposed solar farm in our conservation area will have no benefit to the local community, nor our small village, only to the factory and energy supplier.

“It is proposed to cover 17 acres, yet will only produce 25 per cent of the factory’s energy requirements.

“There is ample wind power being produced and proposed in East Anglia, which would be a more efficient use of renewable energy due to the limited power production of solar panels, which generate little energy in winter, overnight and on overcast days.

“Ground nesting birds and their habitat on this agricultural land will be affected, as will the fertile farmland, thereby impacting the UK’s food production.

“The factory has continued to be developed in recent years, with more vehicles travelling to and from the factory that are unsuitable for our country lanes and village centre.

“This solar farm would add to that heavy goods traffic during construction and maintenance and continue to unnecessarily industrialise our countryside.”

The family-run business, which was founded in 1971 and employs more than 350 people at the facility, had an application for 980 solar panels rejected by the council in 2015.

At the time, the council argued it would cause further degradation to the character and special qualities of the Waveney Valley landscape, with the field put forward for the plan being a Special Landscape Area.

A planning statement for the latest plans read: “Through development of a solar array adjacent to Gressingham Foods, the applicant hopes to further the company’s commitment to decarbonising its supply chain network and operational performance.”

Construction of the panels, on the buildings and in the adjacent field, will take six months to complete.

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