Attleborough Solar - PACE Community Portal
Pathfinder Clean Energy (PACE) has planning permission for the Attleborough solar farm, with battery energy storage, on land off Attleborough Road.
Facilities like these enable this country to meet its low carbon and renewable energy targets. As you may know, the Government has committed to a target of “net zero carbon emissions” and a transition away from fossil fuels for energy supply. Increasingly, renewable energy facilities provide the backbone of this new approach and solar farms, such as that proposed at Attleborough are vital in enabling this.
This website contains details of our proposals, but in summary:
Several sites were considered in the area before this site was selected as the most appropriate location.
The new urban extension proposed to the south of Attleborough will increase energy demand in the area. The solar farm and batteries will help to meet a significant proportion of this demand.
The site has been positioned well away from Bunn’s Bank and the design of the solar farm means that it will not be visible from most of the public footpaths in the area. The short stretch of footpath on the eastern edge will be screened from view by a new hedge. A new permissive path will be created to connect Bunn’s Bank Road with homes to the south of the site.
The size of the site presents significant opportunities for biodiversity improvements, including creating habitat for protected species. It will not be necessary to remove any trees or hedges and the land beneath the panels will be available for grazing livestock as well as biodiversity improvements.
Construction traffic will access the site from the existing field entrance on Attleborough Road. The short construction period means that any disturbance to residents will be kept to a minimum
As a result, PACE believes the proposed development would be in keeping with the character of the area and would make a vital contribution to reducing the risks of climate change.
Pathfinder Clean Energy brings together experience from the development, construction and operation of over 1GW of clean energy projects. This allows us to bring the latest best practices, technical solutions and innovation to our projects.
PACE is headquartered in the UK and is committed to a sustainable future. We are working to create low-carbon energy to the benefit of the environment and the community.
Our team includes ecologists, landscape and heritage specialists who help us to create environmentally friendly solar farms.
We would welcome suggestions from you as to how we can improve our project.
Solar farms use photovoltaic (PV) panels to generate energy from daylight and distribute it to homes and businesses. Batteries store excess energy produced during the day for use at times of high demand, thereby helping to reduce the risk of power cuts.
They are necessary because coal power stations are closing and climate change commitments require big increases in renewable energy.
Solar farms produce home grown energy which contributes to the UK becoming energy independent and reducing our reliance on imported fossil fuels. This is particularly important as demand for electricity for electric vehicles and heating grows.
No harmful greenhouse gas emissions are produced. The batteries use similar technology to mobile phones and laptops, and do not contain hazardous materials.
The development will generate very little noise and will not be heard outside of the site.
At the end of its 40 year operational life, the site will be completely restored.
The proposed Attleborough Road solar farm is located between Old Buckenham to the south and Attleborough to the north at land off Attleborough Road, Old Buckenham, Norfolk NR10 1QB.
The PV arrays will be ground mounted in rows and will not exceed 3m in height.
Existing hedges and trees, and the local topography, means that the development will not be visible from many vantage points, but new planting will also be provided.
Below are a selection of computer generated images prepared by PACE to illustrate what the solar farm will look like. Use the slider below to see a recent photograph before (left) and expected view after development (right). Once available, you can also download these in the downloads section.
For further context, you can also view additional viewpoints here.
Once operational, solar farms generate almost no traffic. The construction period will last approximately 13 - 16 weeks.
The proposed route is to approach the site from the north, as shown on the map.
The development will be connected to the electricity grid to the north.
During construction, there may be some disturbance on some days. This won’t last long and our aim is to keep it to a minimum. Prior to development we will agree restrictions on working hours.
A management plan will be agreed with the Council in advance, which will include details of how you can contact us in the event of a problem.
The Attleborough Road solar farm will have the capacity to generate 18 megawatts of clean, renewable energy which will power the equivalent of around 7,500 households each year.
Battery storage will also provide power at times of high demand.
Solar power has become one of the most cost effective energy sources. Therefore, it will be built without public subsidies.
Solar farms take up a very small proportion of the land they occupy, leaving huge scope for biodiversity. Research has shown they improve the diversity and abundance of broad leaved plants, grasses, butterflies, bumblebees and birds, including those with conservation status. Details of the enhancements we will provide can be found in the graphic, and we would welcome your comments on this.
It will be sited on lower grade agricultural land and grazing of small livestock can continue throughout operation, providing a dual benefit of agriculture and energy generation.
The rapid construction time provides faster access to renewable power and lowers the nation’s carbon footprint, without creating harmful emissions or noise outside of the solar farm.
Engaging with the community is important to us and we welcome your feedback on our proposals, along with any suggestions you might have to improve them. You can do this by filling out our survey here.
Attleborough solar farm was approved October 2021 by Breckland District Council, subject to conditions. You can view the status of the planning application and permission in full on the council’s website. The planning reference for this project is 3PL/2021/0236/F.
PACE is presently working on these conditioned details and will update this website once a detailed schedule is ready.
PACE will then construct the solar farm. Most deliveries are completed in the first six weeks of a construction period that usually lasts 13-16 weeks.
Below you can find links to some more detailed plans as they become available. You can find all of our submission documents via the council's planning portal. Our planning reference will be provided here once we have submitted the project.
You can view our planning application in full on the council’s website. The planning reference for this project is 3PL/2021/0236/F.
We have commissioned a comprehensive set of surveys to help determine the site area and layout, so that impacts on residents can be minimised, and to identify opportunities for improving the proposals. These include:
You can email us at communityrelations@attleboroughsolar.co.uk or give us a call on 0800 3777 348 and we can arrange for someone to call you back.