Renewable planning › Solar › West Suffolk
Solar planning in West Suffolk
West Suffolk has decided 29 solar farms and approved 97% of them, taking a median of 2.9 months to decide. Consented capacity: 205 MW. 9 applications still awaiting a decision.
How West Suffolk compares
Against the 298 UK authorities with 5+ solar decisions, West Suffolk sits in the 52nd percentile for approval rate (4 points above the England average) and the 36th percentile for speed.
Decisions by year
Solar decisions by the year the decision was issued (Renewable Energy Planning Database). Withdrawn and still-undecided applications are excluded, so a short bar can mean a quiet year rather than a strict council.
Every recorded scheme (38)
| Scheme | MW | Status | Decided |
|---|---|---|---|
Sainsburys Superstore, Haycocks Road - Solar Panels Sainsbury's Supermarkets Limited · DC/26/0281/P14JPA | 0.31 | Application Submitted | 2026-02-19 |
Cavenham Quarry, Cavenham Heath - Solar Array Allen Newport Limited · SCC/0097/25F� · 5.5 mo to decide | 1.3 | Awaiting Construction | 2026-01-19 |
Norfolk House, High Street - Solar Panels Lignacite Limited · DC/25/1769/P14JPA · 1.5 mo to decide | 0.59 | Awaiting Construction | 2025-12-23 |
Mildenhall Hub, Sheldrick Way - Solar Panel West Suffolk Council · DC/25/1798/FUL | — | Application Submitted | 2025-11-24 |
Samuel Ward Academy - Solar Panels Energy Group plc · DC/25/1493/P14JPA · 1.7 mo to decide | 0.21 | Awaiting Construction | 2025-11-10 |
Wales End Road, Cavendish - Solar Farm Noventum Power Limited · DC/25/1027/FUL | 12.5 | Application Submitted | 2025-07-14 |
Herbert Retail, Rookwood Way - Solar Photovoltaic Panels Herbert Group · DC/25/0914/P14JPA · 1.3 mo to decide | — | Awaiting Construction | 2025-07-14 |
Water Hall Farm, Waterhall Road - Solar Farm Bluefield Renewable Developments Limited · DC/23/1127/FUL · 23.5 mo to decide | 35 | Awaiting Construction | 2025-07-04 |
Bardwell Fields, Knox Lane - Solar Farm Opdenergy UK 23 Limited · DC/25/0980/FUL | 42 | Application Submitted | 2025-06-25 |
Brandon Fields Estate, Brandon Fields - Solar Panels OPDE Energy · DC/25/0885/FUL | 28 | Application Submitted | 2025-06-10 |
River Linnet Solar Farm, Harram Hill - Solar Farm Quintas Cleantech · DC/25/0909/FUL | 40 | Application Submitted | 2025-06-03 |
Around Eriswell, Eriswell - Solar Array Elveden Farms Limited · DC/25/0189/FUL | 0.35 | Application Submitted | 2025-02-03 |
Cranhouse, Eriswell - Solar Panels Elveden Farms Limited · DC/24/1828/FUL | 0.25 | Application Submitted | 2024-12-17 |
Old Church Lane, Westley - Solar Panels RC Browne & Son · DC/24/0419/FUL · 1.9 mo to decide | 0.2 | Awaiting Construction | 2024-05-17 |
Firsfield Solar Farm Enray Power Limited · DC/22/0445/FUL · 24.8 mo to decide | 46.9 | Awaiting Construction | 2024-04-30 |
Skyliner Way - Solar Array 3Ti Energy Hubs Limited · DC/24/0099/P14JPA · 1.4 mo to decide | 1 | Awaiting Construction | 2024-03-06 |
All Saints Hotel, The Street - Solar Panels All Saints Hotel · DC/23/1066/P14JPA · 3.2 mo to decide | 0.18 | Awaiting Construction | 2023-10-12 |
Rookwood Way - Solar Farm Sanofi UK · DC/23/0052/FUL · 4.8 mo to decide | 2.04 | Operational | 2023-06-29 |
Tuddenham Road, Higham - Ground Mounted Solar Array Higham Estate · DC/23/0146/FUL · 15.7 mo to decide | 0.26 | Awaiting Construction | 2023-06-07 |
Hampstead Avenue, Mildenhall - Solar Panels Drink Stuff · DC/23/0603/P14JPA · 1.6 mo to decide | 0.35 | Awaiting Construction | 2023-06-02 |
Thetford International, Bury Road, - Solar PV Systems Thetford International Limited · DC/23/0462/P14JPA · 1.7 mo to decide | 0.25 | Awaiting Construction | 2023-05-11 |
J K H Drainage Units, Chiswick Avenue - Solar Panels J K H Drainage Units Limited · DC/23/0129/P14JPA · 1.4 mo to decide | 0.3 | Awaiting Construction | 2023-03-10 |
E D F Energy, Barton Road - Solar Panels UKPN Bury St Edmunds · DC/22/2082/P14JPA · 1.8 mo to decide | 0.53 | Awaiting Construction | 2023-01-25 |
West Suffolk College, Out Risbygate Street - Solar Panels West Suffolk College · DC/22/1747/P14JPA · 1.8 mo to decide | 0.55 | Under Construction | 2022-12-05 |
West Suffolk College, Western Way - Solar Panels West Suffolk College · DC/22/1746/P14JPA · 1.8 mo to decide | 0.5 | Awaiting Construction | 2022-12-05 |
Silverline Office Equipment, James Carter Road - Solar PV Panels Silverline Office Equipment Limited · DC/22/1502/P14JPA · 1.8 mo to decide | 0.6 | Awaiting Construction | 2022-10-18 |
Easlea Road - Solar Photovoltaic Panels Vitec Production Solutions · DC/21/1922/P14JPA · 6.5 mo to decide | 0.62 | Operational | 2022-04-08 |
Raf Honington Solar Farm Euston Solar Farm Ltd Island Green Power · DC/21/0115/FUL · 11 mo to decide | — | Under Construction | 2021-12-23 |
Ingham North Solar Solafields/Ingham Renewables · DC/16/2140/FUL · 5.9 mo to decide | 14.2 | Operational | 2017-03-24 |
West Farm (Barnham) Elveden Farms Ltd · DC/13/0801/FUL · 12 mo to decide | 29 | Appeal Refused | 2014-12-04 |
Ingham solar farm Gamma Solar Limited · SE/13/0905/FUL · 6.5 mo to decide | 26 | Revised | 2014-02-07 |
Lackford Estate Solar Park Lackford Estate Solar Park Ltd · DC/13/0017/FUL · 2.7 mo to decide | 20.9 | Operational | 2013-11-02 |
Icklingham Solar Farm Elveden Farms Ltd · F/2013/0258/ESF · 2.7 mo to decide | 8 | Planning Permission Expired | 2013-08-07 |
Toggam Farm Forest Heath District Council · F/2012/0741/FUL · 4.9 mo to decide | 12.5 | Operational | 2013-05-10 |
Forest Heath Solar Farm Munich RE · F/2012/0655/FUL · 1.8 mo to decide | 5 | Operational | 2013-01-02 |
Honington Solar Farm NextEnergy Solar Fund (NESF) · SE/12/1069/FUL · 3.6 mo to decide | 13.6 | Operational | 2012-12-10 |
Broxted Solar Farm (Stradishall Airfield) Lark Energy · SE/12/1114/FUL · 3 mo to decide | 31.6 | Operational | 2012-12-10 |
Bay Farm NextEnergy Solar Fund (NESF) · F/2012/0464/FUL · 3.8 mo to decide | 8.1 | Operational | 2012-11-30 |
Does West Suffolk approve solar farms?
Yes — of the 29 solar farms West Suffolk has decided, 97% were approved (28 granted, 1 refused). The UK-wide rate for solar is 93%.
How long does a solar farm application take in West Suffolk?
The median time from application to decision is 2.9 months, against a UK median of 2.3 months for solar. That is measured between the submission and decision dates recorded in REPD, so it reflects the whole determination period including any extensions.
How much solar capacity has West Suffolk consented?
205 MW has been consented across 28 approved schemes, with 29 MW refused. A further 9 applications awaits a decision.
Other technologies in West Suffolk
Source: Renewable Energy Planning Database (REPD), Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Open Government Licence v3.0 — 2026 Q1 extract. Approval rate is over decided applications only (approved ÷ approved+refused); withdrawn and undecided schemes are excluded. A permission later expired still counts as approved because consent was granted. REPD covers schemes of roughly 150 kW and above, is published quarterly, and does not record refusal reasons — so nothing here explains why a scheme was refused. Screening context for site selection, not planning advice.
Novarly Parcel · official public data, read properly · parcel.novarly.com
Screen a specific site here · All authorities · UK property report