The EIA screening request process is not a planning application. The EIA screening process is a step which developers can elect to undertake to understand whether an EIA will be required. This step is typically undertaken prior to submitting a planning application. Only when the Council has formally acknowledged receipt of the EIA screening request do we usually commence public consultation.  This is so the local community can see for themselves the information we submitted on the Council’s planning website. This provides for full transparency.

In this case Braintree District Council wrote to us on 26 May acknowledging receipt of the EIA screening request. Notices of our pre-application consultation were then sent out on Friday 29 May and by email on Monday 1 June. All consultation materials were available on the project website from the 1 June and the consultation will close on Wednesday 1 July.

We continue to proactively engage with local neighbours and the wider community and are processing feedback already received, ensuring it informs our scheme design as appropriate. We are grateful for all such feedback and encourage participation now to deliver as sensitively designed a project as possible.

We understand that the Council is targeting issuing its response to our EIA screening request by 16 June 2026.

Yes. Qualitas Energy and its advisors visited the Site multiple times prior to submitting the EIA screening request including to consider its landscape suitability.  Further landscape work has been instructed to inform the preparation of a Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment report which will include photography from identified viewpoints and a Landscape Masterplan.

Low-intensity sheep grazing is common beneath and around solar panels, allowing the land to remain in agricultural use while also generating solar energy and delivering biodiversity enhancements. We are proposing to use this approach at Robin Hood Solar Farm, and details will be provided within the Landscape and Ecological Management Plan (LEMP) accompanying the future planning application.

Field 16 has not yet been surveyed and we have stated this in our EIA screening request. The need to survey this field for agricultural land classification purposes will be informed by design iterations considering how or if the field is needed in the scheme.

The future planning application will be accompanied by a sequential assessment, and our EIA screening submission proposes this. Qualitas Energy undertakes detailed site suitability and availability assessments long before planning proposals are prepared and submitted.

For information, one of the key factors for determining an appropriate location for any new solar farm is the proximity to a suitable Point of Connection (PoC) to export power to the electricity distribution network. Robin Hood Solar Farm is proposing the PoC to the grid to be on-site, within the redline boundary, connecting to the existing 132kV overhead line which passes directly over the site.

Alongside the PoC suitability, the site selection process considers planning  policies, including all environmental constraints and opportunities.

It is intended that agricultural use will continue on the Site through low intensity sheep grazing beneath the solar panels. Furthermore, the solar farm proposals are temporary and easily reversible at the end of their operational life when agricultural uses alone will resume.

The proposed Site is graded 3a and primarily used for growing crops to feed livestock. The biggest threat to food security is climate change. Government climate modelling suggests that under a medium emissions scenario, climate change could reduce the proportion of Best and Most Versatile agricultural land from its current baseline of 38.1% to 11.4% by 2050, a 70% reduction. The use of this land for solar to help tackle climate change therefore supports and protects the UK’s food security, rather than harming it.[1]

Currently solar farms occupy less than 0.1% of the UK’s land. To meet the Net Zero target, new solar farm capacity would at most account for 0.6% of UK land, less than the amount currently occupied by golf courses.

[1] UK Food Security Report 2021. Available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/united-kingdom-food-security-report-2021

No, well designed and located solar farms can successfully co-exist with farming. Solar Energy UK published a Farming Sustainability Report[1], which explains that solar farms “do not in any way present a risk to the UK’s food security’.

Solar currently occupies under 1% of UK land – 0.06%. Even under the Government’s most ambitious deployment scenario to achieve Clean Power 2030, solar is expected to require up to 0.4% of total UK land. If all additional solar capacity were delivered as ground-mounted solar (a highly unlikely scenario), this would equate to no more than 0.6% of the UK’s utilised agricultural land[2]. By comparison, around 70% of the UK’s land area is used for agriculture[3]. While the effects of individual developments can be significant at a local level, nationally solar represents a relatively small land use and is not a major driver of agricultural land take of food security concerns.

Additionally, many solar farms continue to support agricultural activity throughout their operational life. Land is not lost to agriculture, it is just used differently. For example, land may continue to be used for grazing sheep (this is the intention at Robin Hood Solar Farm), while the areas around and beneath the panels can be managed as wildflower meadows to support biodiversity[4] and improve soil health.

Before any planning application is submitted, the agricultural quality of the site is assessed through an Agricultural Land Classification (ALC) Survey, which helps to inform the design of the proposals and the planning process. An agricultural land classification survey for the site has been undertaken for the Robin Hood Solar Farm site and this has concluded that the area surveyed is predominantly grade 3a, with a small area of grade 3b in the western part of the site. A Soil Management Plan will also be prepared and submitted alongside the planning application to ensure soils are appropriately handled, stored and reinstated during construction and decommissioning.

Solar farms do not permanently change the use of agricultural land. They are a temporary form of development, typically operating for around 40 years, after which time the equipment is removed and the land can be returned to agricultural use.

The planning application for Robin Hood Solar Farm will include information on the site’s agricultural land classification, the proposed land use during the operational life of the project and the measures proposed to protect soil resources.

National and local planning policy recognises the importance of protecting agricultural land, requiring developers to avoid best and most versatile land where possible and to prefer lower-grade land. Planning authorities take this, alongside a range of other environmental, technical and community considerations, into account when determining planning applications for solar developments.

[1] SEUK_farming-sustainably-report_march25.pdf

[2] Solar roadmap: United Kingdom powered by solar (accessible webpage) – GOV.UK

[3] The Land Use Framework for England

[4] SEUK-Solar-Habitat-2025-3.pdf

The proposed Robin Hood Solar Farm is on agricultural land which is primarily used for growing wheat and barley for livestock feed. An Agricultural Land Classification (ALC) Survey has been undertaken for the site which concludes that the land within the proposed development area is predominantly classified as Subgrade 3a. This falls within the Government definition of “best and most versatile” (BMV) agricultural land, which includes grades 1, 2 and 3a. The Site therefore contains the lowest quality of BMV land. There is also an area of the site which has been classified as Subgrade 3b, in the west of the site, which is not considered best and most versatile agricultural land.

Should development consent be granted, our proposals are to have low intensity sheep grazing beneath the panels to help manage and maintain the grassland. As such, the scheme will support the viability of the current farming enterprise and will not be lost to agricultural use.

The planning application will include the full Agricultural Land Classification Survey and supporting technical information, together with details of the proposed land use during the operational life of the project and the measures that will be implemented to protect and manage soils. This information will enable Braintree District Council to fully assess the agricultural effects of the proposed development, alongside all other relevant planning considerations, as part of the planning application process.

The fences enclosing the solar panels will be approximately 2.4m high, and comprise deer fencing with mammal gates. This type of fencing is not unusual in rural landscapes. We understand that the amenity of those using the Public Rights of Way is important and are keen to build in design measures preferred by local users. We are also in discussion with Essex County Council as the responsible authority for managing and protecting Public Rights of Way and Officers at Braintree District Council. The fence lines will be offset from Public Rights of Way, and we are currently developing buffer zones and planting options – please let us know your ideas and preferences. The layout plans submitted alongside the planning application will set this out in detail, including cross-sections.

The proposals are subject to ongoing design and environmental assessment.

Areas shown in pink on the EIA Screening Plan for ecological or landscape mitigation are indicative at this time as explained in our previously circulated information. When the planning application is submitted the full and detailed site layout showing areas for infrastructure and areas for planting/mitigation and enhancement will be clearly shown. There will be areas however specifically within the final design for ecological and landscape mitigation.

All access routes are currently undergoing detailed assessment work to ensure that routes are safe, sustainable, and appropriate for this type of construction process. Our proposals in this respect will need to be agreed with the local Highways Authority (Essex County Council), and relevant consultees. We welcome local input and comments on this during the consultation, and will consider all feedback prior to finalising our plans.

The project is still being designed and therefore the exact total output is still being determined. Detailed plans will be provided alongside the planning application.

Solar panels are solid state pieces of equipment designed to be environmentally robust and warranted by the manufacturer to operate for 30 years+. The project will maintain spares at a level around 0.5% to allow for replacement in case of damage or, very rarely, individual failure.

The plan submitted in support of the EIA screening request, and shown on our consultation materials, has been developed at the earliest stage of the project – to enable feedback from public engagement to shape the design of the project to take account of local sensitivities. This is accepted good practice. It is important that we engage with the community while elements are still open to adjustment and change. We look forward to reviewing the feedback received and considering the comments in detail. Detailed plans will be submitted alongside the planning application, and at that time Braintree District Council as Local Planning Authority will consult the local community.

We understand that the Public Rights of Way and surrounding roads are used for horse riding and walking and that, because these are rural roads, they do not provide a pavement. We take the safety of all persons seriously, including these users. The majority of effects to these groups are likely to take place during the construction period as this is when the staff attending the site and deliveries will be at their highest. A construction traffic management plan will be prepared and submitted alongside the planning application. This will set out the measures to help ensure that construction traffic and construction activity are managed in a way which will safeguard these users. Whilst these have not been drawn up in detail yet, typical approaches include ensuring that deliveries are only made on selected routes and that drivers are made aware of the potential for people to be walking and riding in the area, and to ensure their driving reflects this situation. Effects on Public Rights of Way are typically managed through limiting interactions with Public Rights of Way, providing clear signage, and the use of banksmen where vehicles intersect a Public Right of Way to ensure that Public Right of Way users have priority.

The Robin Hood Solar Farm will deliver a range of benefits for the local community. In addition to supporting national goals around energy security and tackling climate change, the proposals are expected to generate economic benefits at a local level. We are committed to employing local suppliers and contractors throughout construction and long-term operation, ensuring that investment stays within the community and directly benefits local businesses.

Qualitas Energy will also provide a community benefit fund, worth approximately £1.2 million (index linked) over the 40 year course of the project, which will provide financial support for activities or projects in the local area of the Robin Hood Solar Farm. This fund sits entirely outside of the planning process, does not inform the determination of the planning application and is an approach promoted by Government and delivered by some solar developers to ensure communities hosting important energy infrastructure see local benefits from those projects. Qualitas Energy is very supportive of such an approach.

The development of renewable energy projects, including this one, will deliver a secure supply of clean energy, thereby helping to provide energy security to the UK. The development of clean energy in the UK will enable the shift away from fossil fuels, which are exposed to volatile price changes in the international oil and gas markets. Solar farms create energy that is not subject to finite limits, as is the case for oil and gas. Transitioning to this form of energy generation (and other renewable sources) gives much greater certainty for the long-term future of energy supply to the UK, and helps reduce energy prices in our day to day lives. Energy UK provides more statistics on the cost of energy which may be of interest. This is available at https://www.energy-uk.org.uk/insights/uk-energy-transition-supporting-statistics-and-evidence/

There is no currently defined radius from the site for which local businesses may be able to benefit from the construction of the solar farm.

We are keen to understand community views on what local benefits they would like to be delivered through the Community Benefit Fund, so would welcome suggestions on this point. We will be seeking to refine our approach in this respect over the coming months and in discussion with relevant local representatives and interested parties.

The proposals for the community benefit fund for Robin Hood Solar Farm are still being developed. Whilst we have provided information about the fund amount, how it will be administered is yet to be determined and we intend to discuss this with the local community at a future point in time. We would welcome any ideas from the community and invite people to register their interest if they would like to discuss this with us. We are developing a solar farm in Leicestershire where we have partnered with Grantscape, however no decision has been made on whether we would do so for Robin Hood Solar Farm, as the community benefit fund may be administered more effectively in a different way in this location.

No. The Community Benefit Fund is not a material planning consideration. It sits wholly outside of the planning process. If planning permission is granted Qualitas Energy recognises that as hosts of the project the local community should benefit directly from it. We will be developing the detailed proposals for the community benefit in the near future, however as reported in our consultation room, the overall fund is likely to be worth approximately £1.2 million over the project lifetime and will be index linked.

We understand that residents may be concerned about whether vibration from construction traffic, particularly heavy goods vehicles (HGVs), could cause damage to their properties. While residents may occasionally feel vibration from passing vehicles, including construction HGVs, it is important to note that vibration levels generated by construction traffic are unlikely to result in structural or cosmetic damage to residential properties. This is supported by established British Standards, particularly BS 7385: Part 2 – “Evaluation and measurement for vibration in buildings”, which provides guidance on vibration levels that could potentially cause building damage. This standard is widely used across the UK for assessing vibration from construction and traffic sources.

BS 7385 sets out conservative threshold values for vibration, expressed in terms of peak particle velocity (PPV). For typical residential buildings, the standard indicates that:

• Cosmetic damage (e.g. minor plaster cracking) is unlikely to occur below vibration levels of 15 mm/s PPV at frequencies above 4 Hz, with higher thresholds applied at lower frequencies.
• These limits include significant safety factors, meaning the actual onset of damage would occur at higher vibration levels than those stated.

In comparison, research has shown that vibration levels from road traffic—even with frequent HGV movements—are typically less than 1 mm/s, which is well below the BS 7385 guideline values.

During construction (15-18 months), the average number of deliveries is expected to be 10 per day. From our experience, the peak construction traffic will be typically no more than 15 deliveries per day albeit specific calculations derived for the Robin Hood Solar Farm will be presented in the Construction Traffic Management Plan accompanying the planning application that reflects the finalised design.

Once construction traffic routes are agreed for Robin Hood Solar Farm, and in the event planning permission is granted, they would be enforced through planning conditions – these would typically require compliance with a Construction Traffic Management Plan (CTMP)(CEMP) approved by the local planning authority (Braintree District Council). This document will be submitted with the planning application submission, and will specify the permitted routes, access points, delivery hours, vehicle types, and mitigation measures such as wheel washing or signage. The local authority or highway authority will be able to enforce these arrangements throughout the construction period. An additional way of enforcing the routing the construction vehicles is via the contracts with the construction companies delivering materials to the site. We liaise with the local community throughout the build process and any issues that do arise can typically be resolved quickly and effectively.

We work with specialist transport consultants who follow technical guidelines and engage with the requirements of the Highway Authority who are the responsible body for ensuring our roads are safe and operating within capacity. If you have concerns regarding particular sections of the proposed traffic route please do advise and we can look at those in more detail. The details of the traffic surveys will be published for full transparency within our future planning application.

Our future planning application for the Robin Hood Solar Farm will include, and therefore seek permission for, the necessary highway access points. A Transport Statement and Construction Traffic Management Plan will accompany the planning application, along with detailed access designs.

We have undertaken a preliminary traffic and access feasibility which has indicated impacts are likely to be acceptable. A Transport Assessment and Construction Traffic Management Plan will accompany the future planning application. During construction (15-18 months), the development will generate up to 15 deliveries per day. We are proposing to route the construction traffic on a one-way arrival and departure system whereby arrivals would be from the north-east from the A1017 via Stambourne with departures to the west to the A1017 at Haverhill via Howe Street, Cornish Hall End and Steeple Bumpstead.

During the operational period of Robin Hood Solar Farm, approximately 3-4 light goods vehicles are expected per month. These are very low levels of traffic over a 40 year period.

Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) is calculated by comparing the biodiversity value of a site before and after development using the standard metric from Natural England, with developments in England generally required to deliver at least a 10% increase in biodiversity units. Robin Hood Solar Farm is expected to deliver a Biodiversity Net Gain in excess of 10%.

The calculation is based on several key variables: the type of habitat present (e.g. grassland, woodland, wetland), its size or length (measured in hectares or metres), its condition/quality (such as species diversity and ecological health), and its distinctiveness (how rare or valuable the habitat is). The metric also applies adjustments for strategic significance (whether the habitat supports local nature recovery priorities), time to reach target condition (how long new habitats take to mature), difficulty of creation or restoration (risk of successful delivery), and location/spatial risk (whether habitat enhancement is on-site or off-site). Together, these factors generate a biodiversity unit score used to determine whether a development achieves the required net gain.

Whilst it may not appear so, land currently in use for farming can have a relatively low biodiversity value due to herd grazing, crop growing and fertilisation processes. Solar farms can often see a significant improvement in the biodiversity of an area due to the nature of the works undertaken, and the fact that the land is taken out of intensive agricultural use for the lifetime of the project. This is what we are intending to achieve with Robin Hood Solar Farm, and the project team is currently undertaking the various assessments to clarify the specific BNG that could be delivered across the site. The full biodiversity metric calculations will be submitted alongside the planning application.

Sheep grazing is a common form of land management on solar farms. Low-intensity grazing helps control the vegetation beneath the solar panels in a natural way. Grazing levels would be carefully managed to prevent overgrazing and to maintain biodiversity. This will be explained in more detail within the Landscape and Ecological Management Plan submitted with the future planning application.

As is the case for all solar developers, we use independent, accredited consultants who are regulated by a professional body to undertake all environmental assessments and provide robust evidence to inform the project’s design. This includes the agricultural land classification survey.

Site specific soil surveys are significantly more accurate and robust than the UK government’s predictive mapping, as site-specific soil surveys directly examine the ground on the property. The soil survey findings will be scrutinised independently by Braintree District Council as part of the future planning application, when the council makes its determination as to whether or not to grant planning permission.

Yes, we have a grid connection offer. As with all energy infrastructure projects, final connection arrangements will be subject to technical and network approvals.

Our consultation material sets out that the energy produced is equivalent to approximately 85% of the homes in Braintree, to give an understanding of the scale of the generating capacity proposed. This is based on the 60MW (AC) generating capacity, which is enough to power 16,200 homes, approximately the equivalent of 85% of the total number of homes in Braintree (approximately 19,000). Energy generated flows through the national grid network which serves the whole of Great Britain. Energy will be dispatched to where it is needed, wherever that may be.

Yes, we will be providing CGI visualisations of the Robin Hood Solar Farm. These will be from various points within and around the site, including Public Rights of Way. Viewpoints will be agreed with the planning authority; however, we also welcome suggestions for specific locations if local residents have viewpoints they’d like us to consider, and we can include those as appropriate.

EIA screening is a standard part of the process to determine the need for, or otherwise, an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). It is not a planning application.

A full Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment and a desk-based Heritage Assessment will be undertaken as part of the future planning application. These will consider as appropriate any previous UNESCO bids.

Yes. The extent and nature of the impact will be fully assessed in the Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment accompanying the future planning application. In general terms however the Site is well enclosed by mature trees and hedgerows, reducing visual impacts from those receptors outside of the solar farm. These trees and hedgerows will be retained and reinforced where necessary, and new hedgerows and tree planting also provided.

We are currently undertaking relevant surveys and assessment work to identify, map and consider all the nearby heritage assets. This will allow us to consider the design of the proposed solar farm in more detail and to adjust any part of the project that might help reduce or eliminate any local impacts. Based on early surveys by our heritage consultants, we are advised that we can acceptably mitigate such impacts and further details will be presented within the Heritage Impact Assessment submitted as part of our planning submission.

The land will be leased from local landowners for the construction, operation and decommissioning phases of the project. At the end of the project’s lifespan, the solar infrastructure will be decommissioned and removed, and the land will be restored to its previous use.

It is our understanding that since the alpaca business ceased the land has remained in agricultural use.

Yes. There is no requirement for land to be registered when submitting a planning application over it.

We reached out to the local community via our first letter drop in May 2026. Since then, we have held an online webinar, and offered/held meetings with the nearest site neighbours at their homes, as well as elected local representatives and other key stakeholders such as Parish Councils. We will continue to offer to meet and engage over the coming months and welcome requests to discuss the plans as we continue to develop them. We will be inviting the closest neighbouring residents to meet with us in person in early July at a local venue.

Once the planning application is submitted, the local authority (Braintree District Council) will undertake a period of consultation on the plans to gather views prior to determining the application. This will include an opportunity for residents and interested parties to make formal representation. There is an opportunity for us, as the applicants, to respond to all comments made on the application, and we can submit amendments to resolve any concerns.

Qualitas Energy has undertaken a programme of early, pre-application engagement to introduce the Robin Hood Solar Farm proposals and provide opportunities for local residents, elected representatives and other stakeholders to comment on the proposals and assist us produce the most sensitively designed scheme as possible

At the project’s initiation, introductory letters were sent to 24 neighbouring properties located closest to the proposed site. This was followed by the distribution of a project newsletter and consultation brochure to 191 properties within an approximately 2-kilometre consultation area, providing information about the proposals, inviting residents to attend the public information webinar, and explaining how feedback could be submitted. The brochure also included a tear-off reply slip where people could provide feedback on the proposals.

A public webinar was held on Tuesday 16 June, supported by a dedicated project website, Frequently Asked Questions and a range of consultation materials. In addition to the wider consultation, invitations were issued to approximately 30 neighbouring properties to attend a dedicated neighbours’ meeting which was held on Wednesday 8 July, providing those living closest to the proposed development with an opportunity to discuss the proposals directly with members of the project team. Throughout the consultation period, residents have been able to submit comments and questions by email, telephone, Freepost and via the online feedback form.

Alongside engagement with the local community, Qualitas Energy has undertaken a comprehensive programme of stakeholder engagement. This has included engagement with Finchingfield Parish Council, Stambourne Parish Council and Toppesfield Parish Council who are the host Parish Councils. We were invited to attend Finchingfield Parish Council’s meeting on 23 June, but the Parish Council subsequently withdrew its invitation so we did not attend. We attended Toppesfield Parish Council’s meeting on 13 July at 7pm. We have also engaged with Braintree District Council through the EIA screening process and a pre-application advice request, Essex County Council Public Rights of Way Officers, Braintree District Council ward members, Essex County Council electoral division members, Cabinet Members and Development Management Committee Members, the Member of Parliament, the British Horse Society and the Essex Bridleways Association.

We work with a specialist acoustic consultancy who are highly regarded in the industry, have prepared noise impact assessments for solar farms previously and with whom we have worked with previously over the years. Our planning application will need to robustly demonstrate that there will be no unacceptable noise impacts arising from the project during construction, operation and decommissioning. If we fail to do that then quite rightly the project would not be granted consent.  A full description of the surveys undertaken and assessment methodology and impact results will be submitted with the planning application.

As part of the early development process, Qualitas Energy reviews potential opportunities where renewable energy generation may be technically feasible, including consideration of environmental sensitivity, grid infrastructure and land availability. The Robin Hood Solar Farm site is not covered by any environmental designations such as scheduled monuments, listed buildings, conservation areas, sites of special scientific interest or any other ecological designation. It is well screened due to the topography of the area and existing mature trees and hedgerows, and there is potential to further enhance and reinforce the screening on the site. It is therefore considered to be an appropriate site for a solar farm, subject to detailed survey and assessment which will be undertaken as we prepare the planning application.

The Robin Hood Solar Farm site was identified in part due to the presence of existing grid infrastructure crossing the site, the environmental suitability as set out above and discussions with landowners regarding land availability.

Typically, where capacity has been identified on the overhead line, we undertake a search for land of a sufficient size, over a distance of approximately 3km around that line.

Grid connection cost, which is closely correlated to the distance of the export route from a site to the point of connection, is a key differentiator between prospective generation sites. Sites with lower connection costs generate electricity with a lower price.

We can confirm that we approached the Ministry of Defence (MoD) about renewable energy projects on their land, and the MoD advised it was not interested in exploring that opportunity. We understand the MoD is pursuing its own redevelopment plans for the land. As such, the land on former RAF Wethersfield is not available to us.

Solar panels are fully sealed to prevent any physical or chemical exchange or interaction between the internal components and the environment. They will be removed intact at the end of the project’s operation or sooner if damaged. The project will use crystalline silicon solar panels which do not contain any cadmium.

No. Solar farms are used widely across the UK and globally, and are regarded as a safe method of generating renewable energy.

Robin Hood Solar Farm will be designed and built according to all required standards, with regular inspections and maintenance planned for the lifetime of the project.

Qualitas Energy is a leading renewable energy investment funder with 20 years’ global experience, including the development, and operation of solar farms. To date, Qualitas Energy’s renewable energy portfolio has invested €14 billion, and its existing portfolio comprises 11GW of operational and development stage renewable energy assets. It is readily apparent therefore that we are a company with an established track record of delivery a large volume of successful renewable energy projects, and this team is now rapidly delivering within the UK.

Qualitas Energy is delivering a substantial portfolio of UK renewable energy schemes. It is currently constructing its first UK solar farm near Melton Mowbray (50MW) and is actively progressing six solar farm planning projects around the country together with onshore wind projects and a biomethane gas generating business with two operational plants and three consented plants being progressed into development.

The UK Qualitas Energy Team is made up of professionals (land, grid, development and planning) with long and successful careers in developing solar projects within the UK, and who joined Qualitas Energy in the past 3 years to help deliver sustainable energy infrastructure and tackle climate change.

Acorn Bioenergy has successfully secured planning permission for five state of the art renewable biomethane gas generating power plants. This is a very high track record of success for projects which typically experience significantly higher attrition rates in development, not just through planning but also due to complex land or grid connection issues.

Furthermore, Acorn Bioenergy is successfully commissioning and operating two biomethane gas facilities, providing enough renewable gas to meet the needs of approximately 18,000 households every year and saving c. 60,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually. We are proud of that achievement and the meaningful contribution they make to helping the UK meet its own energy needs in a secure, affordable and environmentally sustainable way. Later this year, Acorn Bioenergy will also be bringing back into operation a biomethane gas generation project it purchased in 2025 which had been mothballed for a number of years. The plant is being refurbished and modernised and will soon be another important renewable energy source.

Lastly, Acorn Bioenergy focuses (like Qualitas Energy) on building meaningful and positive relationships with the local communities within which its plants are located. Part of that focus involves the distribution of community benefit funds to local projects and groups for use for the priorities determined by the local communities themselves.

The UK Government has concluded that meeting the UK’s future electricity demand will require a diverse a mix of low-carbon technologies, rather than relying on any single source of energy. This includes renewable technologies such as solar (roof top and ground mounted solar farms) and onshore and offshore wind, alongside nuclear power. In addition, the UK Government has concluded that the energy system will also need to include energy storage, interconnectors and other forms of low-carbon, flexible generation.

This approach is set out in the Government’s Clean Power 2030 Action Plan, which includes indicative capacity ranges for the different technologies required to achieve a clean electricity system by 2030 (Table 1[1]). The Government’s Solar Roadmap[2] also identifies an ambition to increase the UK’s solar capacity to 45-47 GW by 2030, recognising solar as an important part of the balanced mix of technologies needed to deliver a secure, affordable and lower-carbon electricity system.

Planning policy supports the principle of renewable energy development, while recognising that proposals must be considered on their individual merits. This means renewable energy schemes are expected to demonstrate that environmental, landscape, heritage, transport and other planning impacts have been appropriately assessed and addressed before planning permission can be granted.

[1] https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/677bc80399c93b7286a396d6/clean-power-2030-action-plan-main-report.pdf

[2] https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/685d6e483e6b7941f4e00afb/35.87_DESNZ_UK_Solar_Roadmap_final.pdf

No – not on their own. Rooftop solar will play an important role in decarbonising the UK’s electricity system, but it cannot realistically meet the UK’s future electricity demand by itself.

The UK’s annual electricity demand is roughly 300-350 TWh[1], and demand is expected to increase significantly as transport, heating and industry become increasingly electrified in support of net zero. A typical UK rooftop solar installation generates around 3,000-4,000 kWh per year, and there are approximately 29 million homes[2] in the UK. Even in the highly unrealistic scenario where every roof was fitted with solar panels, total annual generation would be in the region of 80-110TWh per year. This is equivalent to only around 25-35% of the current UK electricity demand.

In practice, the contribution from rooftop solar would be considerably lower since many roofs are unsuitable for solar installation (due to their orientation, shading, structural limitations etc.), while a significant proportion of the population lives in flats or rented accommodation where installation is more challenging.

The Government’s Solar Roadmap[3] makes clear that achieving the UK’s clean power ambitions will require a balanced mix of rooftop and ground-mounted solar, alongside other low-carbon technologies. The Roadmap identified substantial growth in rooftop solar but also anticipates that around 60-65% of installed solar capacity by 2030 will come from large-scale solar projects, reflecting their ability to deliver electricity at scale and at lower cost than fragmented rooftop installations.

[1] Energy Trends: UK electricity – GOV.UK

[2] Families – Office for National Statistics

[3] UK Solar Roadmap 2025

There is no conclusive evidence that solar farms have a significant or widespread impact on local property prices.

According to the UK Government’s 2025 Solar Roadmap, there is no reason to anticipate a negative impact on property prices. Once operational, solar farms are well screened, and operate quietly, without emitting odours, pollution or causing traffic disruption.

More broadly, research and market evidence reviewed by organisations including the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and evidence submitted to government consultations suggest that, where any effect has been identified, it is generally small and localised. Any impact is most likely to occur where properties have very close, direct and unobstructed views of a solar farm. Studies also indicate that any such effects may reduce over time as landscaping becomes established and the development becomes part of the local environment.

For the Robin Hood Solar Farm, careful consideration is being given to the layout of the development, including appropriate setbacks from neighbouring properties, existing vegetation, and additional landscape planting where appropriate to help screen the solar farm.

The aim of this approach is to ensure the development is designed sensitively within the landscape and to minimise potential impacts on neighbouring properties and the surrounding area.