There are several factors that influence the location of a solar farm.

The relevant National Policy Statement
(NPS EN-3) sets the key factors influencing site selection and design for large scale solar development such as land features, grid connection and amount of available sunlight. There are limited locations within
the UK that can satisfy all characteristics, and therefore solar developments are proposed at locations which have a blend of the required characteristics.

The proposed development will have a limited environmental impact and can be connected to the electricity grid at Braintree substation. Obtaining voluntary land agreements for the main solar site is also a key influencing factor for the siting of the proposed development.

The land parcels that form the site were originally selected with the intention of securing planning permission via the Town and Country Planning Act (TCPA) route, for two separate solar farms.

The Project team has continued to review land requirements since acquiring the projects from the previous developer, leading to the introduction of additional land parcels. As such, the previous two sites have now been combined to form one site.

The suitability of the site is a factor that the Secretary of State will consider once the application has been submitted. The proposed development is temporary and therefore will not involve the permanent loss of land.

Panel technology is rapidly evolving and therefore procurement decisions and final specification of individual elements are typically taken receiving consent. The size and number of individual panels will therefore be determined at a later date, we anticipate between 200,000-210,000 panels.

Hedgehog Grove Solar Farm is only temporary and will be decommissioned and returned to full agricultural land once it’s come to the end of its useful life, in approximately 30 years.

We are at the early stages of the process therefore information is quite high-level at this stage. However, our team is working hard behind the scenes to pull together more detailed plans, visualisations and information. We are committed to providing much more detailed information as part of a public consultation in Summer 2025.

You can find out more about our consultation on our Process page.

Over the next few months, we will be running targeted Community Liaison Groups to seek input and feedback. We will formally consult local people in Summer 2025 ahead of submitting a Development Consent Order application at the end of 2025.

Our timeline may be seen at the bottom of this page.

The two previous applications ‘Drapers Chase Solar Farm’ and ‘Poplars Solar Farm’ were initially developed as two local planning applications each capable of producing up to 49.9MW of electricity with one electricity connection to Braintree substation. The Planning Inspectorate (PINS) confirmed that the two projects form one Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) due to the single point of connection and combined generating capacity exceeding 50 MW.

Ongoing discussions between TotalEnergies and landowners have also increased the project extent from the previous proposals.

The DCO process ensures that local people are consulted properly and can influence the proposals. TotalEnergies is committed to an inclusive consultation process that will ensure the voices of the local residents are heard.

The project will include underground cabling to connect into the UKPN network at the Braintree 132kV substation. As part of the design process, several cable corridor options have been identified which are being considered further by the Project team.

Yes, in order to step-up our electricity to join the grid, we will be including a small substation within our proposals. This will be sited well away from households and footpaths. We are also assessing the most suitable location for the substation, within the existing constraints of the Site.