Energy developers must stop mistreating Suffolk’s communities

This is Suffolk County Council's message in a letter to the Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, published on Monday 17 July 2023.

In its letter, the Council cites the Sunnica solar farm on the Suffolk / Cambridgeshire border as the worst example of the mistreatment of local communities, with complaints received throughout the consultation and examination process.

Councillor Richard Rout, Suffolk County Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance and Environment, and signatory of the letter, said:

“The government has recognised Suffolk County Council as a Centre of Excellence when it comes to big energy schemes, we have a great deal of experience in this area. I want to continue to use this influence at the highest level to make sure that local communities are heard and respected at every stage of the application process.

“As a recent example of the mistreatment of our communities, we need look no further than the Sunnica solar farm application on the Suffolk / Cambridgeshire border. I have indicated to the Secretary of State that this is the worst application we have ever dealt with. We received numerous complaints from local people about Sunnica’s approach, from the poor quality of information provided, to their inability to respond at local events, and their lack of engagement with local, knowledgeable people.

“These projects put immense pressure on parish councils, businesses, and residents. But it’s my experience that these communities are rarely treated fairly by the developers.”

Suffolk plays a major role in the UK’s drive for energy security. The county will be home to over 10 percent of the UK’s large energy projects, like Sizewell C, known as Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs). It is estimated that East Anglia will generate over 30 percent of the nation’s energy but uses only 6 percent.

The letter goes on to explain that NSIPs should be subject to more rigorous scrutiny when engaging with local communities, before the Planning Inspectorate’s formal Examination process begins.

Cllr Rout continues:

“Developers must not think that doing the bare minimum for local communities is acceptable, with just a little funding and basic engagement. They must be held to higher standards and where projects proceed, people must feel some benefit in the place they live.

“They must involve communities from the earliest stages, forge positive relationships and find ways to work together, so that if consent is granted, we see a better and fairer project for all concerned.

“The Sunnica proposal is the worst example of what can go wrong. The developer rapidly instilled distrust and ill feeling in 14 local communities and multiple local authorities, both through the poor quality of their application and a failure to acknowledge local issues or recognise local expertise.”

Suffolk County Council recognises the extent and magnitude of the infrastructure required to deliver the Government’s Net Zero target and supports its ambitions. These projects must be executed quickly and efficiently, but not to the detriment of affected communities.

The council has also set out more detailed proposals on developers’ treatment of communities, in its recent response to the Government’s consultation on community benefits and electricity transmission infrastructure.