Plan for 43-hectare solar farm on fields near Brandon

Fields near Brandon could become home to a 28 mega watt solar farm, if new plans are approved.

A full planning application has been submitted by Opdenergy UK 22 Ltd to West Suffolk Council to install and operate a solar farm, with associated works, equipment and infrastructure, on land off an access road from Brandon to Fenhouse Farm.

The 43-hectare site is currently used for arable and pig farming.

Documents submitted to planners said the proposed facility would be known as Brandon Fields Solar Farm and capable of supplying electricity to about 7,670 homes.

A design and access statement said the farm had been designed to minimise impact on the surrounding countryside or settlements, and added: “The proposal will contribute significantly to the local and national requirements to generate renewable electricity.”

The proposed solar farm would have an estimated 50,000 PV solar panels, enclosed by a mesh deer fence and covered by 4.2-metre high infra-red security cameras.

A planning statement said the site could be used for grazing throughout its 40-year operation.

Construction of the facility – including six inverters, three transformers, a control room and two substations – would take around nine months, with connection to the grid completed by October 2031.

A noise assessment submitted to planners calculated the farm would create ‘very low’ noise levels at neighbouring properties.