Stoke Lane Solar Farm

Project Type: Solar
Country: England
Location: Norfolk

Planned
Consented
In Construction
Operational

Project overview

We are developing our proposals for a solar project to the west of the village of Stoke Holy Cross, Norfolk.

We believe this project offers significant environmental and community benefits. Throughout the development of the project, we are committed to keeping stakeholders, local neighbours, and the wider community well-informed, while also ensuring there are opportunities to share your thoughts on the plans as they evolve.

The project would support the UK’s transition to a net-zero economy by reducing reliance on fossil fuels and meeting growing electricity demand. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero’s Clean Power 2030 Action Plan outlines a target to more than double the UK’s solar generation capacity by 2030, which this project will help contribute towards.

The site

The map on the right shows an outline of the entire site that we are considering for the solar project.

The site has been identified as suitable for this project due its proximity to a grid connection at our battery storage facility located to the west of the A140, the existing vegetation in place and potential to plant more to ensure very minimal visual impact and the high solar irradiation levels.

A proportion of the land will remain free of solar panels, allowing us to enhance existing habitats and create new ones.

Enhancing biodiversity

Research is increasingly showing that renewables, such as solar, can have a positive impact on nature. Through the Stoke Lane solar project, we will be working to do exactly this and believe we can provide a significant amount of biodiversity net gain, helping to create new habitats and improving the local environment.

We will retain existing hedgerows and enhance it where needed. Tree and flower planting will also form part of our plans.

We are working with an ecologist to investigate additional steps and will include further information on these during the consultation stage.

For more information on how renewables are becoming important habitats for wildlife, please visit: https://solarenergyuk.org/resource/solar-habitat-2025/

A picture of solar panels sat in a field of poppies

Community benefits

To support the community closest to the site, a dedicated community fund will be set up to spend on local initiatives. The annual fund will be in place for the operational lifetime of the site.

Our existing community funds have supported a huge variety of local projects over the years, from education and skills to summer programmes for children and renovation projects.

Community funds are managed by an external body – such as Norfolk Community Foundation – but delivered in partnership with the community. Local people are able to advise on the fund strategy and spend, so they can prioritise issues that are important to the local area.

Next steps

We plan to run a consultation later this summer where we will provide more detail on our plans. Please do check back for details of this consultation, which will also be advertised locally.