West Suffolk and Cambridgeshire County councils have withdrawn their legal challenge against the development of the 500 MW Sunnica Energy solar project. This decision also led Suffolk County Council and East Cambridgeshire to abandon any legal action against the project.
Suffolk County Council cited the high cost of legal fees compared to the potential financial return as the reason for their withdrawal. Richard Rout, Suffolk County Council’s deputy cabinet member for nationally significant infrastructure projects, expressed deep disappointment, accusing the councils of prioritizing government interests over those of local communities and taxpayers.
The Sunnica solar farm, located on the Suffolk-Cambridgeshire border, was classified as a nationally significant infrastructure project (NSIP) due to its capacity exceeding 50 MW. As such, it required a development consent order (DCO) application, which was reviewed by the National Planning Inspectorate.
Despite initial recommendations for rejection, the project received approval from Ed Miliband, Secretary of State for the UK’s Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DENSZ). The approval came last month, alongside other large-scale solar projects, including the 350 MW Mallard Pass and 500 MW Gate Burton projects.