High Grove Solar Farm Faces Growing Opposition

Opposition to RWE’s proposed High Grove Solar Farm in Norfolk is growing as local MPs form a cross-party alliance over concerns about the rise in applications for such sites, as reported in the Eastern Daily Press. 

Located across five sites, the High Grove Solar Farm would be the largest in the UK. However, the plans crystallise a debate that pits the urgent need for renewable energy against concerns over land use, local heritage and rural livelihoods. Below, we lay out the principal arguments on both sides, drawing on facts and figures released by developers RWE and the objections raised by local MPs, councils and community groups.

The Pros

1. Massive Clean-Energy Contribution

• Scale of generation: High Grove would supply enough electricity for around 363,000 typical UK households each year, displacing some 25 million tonnes of CO₂ over its lifetime—equivalent to removing nearly 369,000 cars from the roads annually.

• Net-zero targets: Solar power is one of the quickest and most deployable renewables; the UK Government aims to quintuple installed solar capacity to 70 GW by 2035, and High Grove would make a substantial contribution towards that goal.

2. Support for Energy Security and Affordability

• Reduced reliance on imports: By generating home-grown electricity, the project helps insulate the UK from volatile global fossil-fuel markets and price spikes.

• Battery storage: On-site battery installations will smooth out fluctuations in supply and deliver power when it’s needed most—bolstering grid resilience.

3. Biodiversity Net Gain and Community Funds

• Habitat enhancement: RWE has committed to a minimum 50 % Biodiversity Net Gain, planting several kilometres of native hedgerows and trees, and creating permissive footpaths for public recreation.

• Local investment: Over its 40-year lifetime, High Grove would channel up to £11.5 million into a Community Benefit Fund, shaped by local people’s priorities.

4. Agricultural Co-use and Minimal Disruption

• Sheep grazing: More than 95 % of the panel area can remain in pasture, allowing for sheep grazing beneath and around the arrays—preserving agricultural use of the land.

• Screening and visual mitigation: RWE proposes extensive screening measures to minimise visual intrusion on nearby villages and sensitive viewpoints.

The Cons

1. Loss of Productive Farmland and Rural Character

• Scale of land-take: The scheme spans roughly 4,000 acres across five distinct sites, directly affecting 19 villages. MPs worry this represents an industrial encroachment on Norfolk’s prime agricultural and scenic landscapes.

• Impact on farming sector: Local representatives, including Mid Norfolk MP George Freeman, argue that large-scale solar “rammed through” as Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects bypasses normal planning safeguards for agricultural land and could harm the rural economy.

2. Threat to Tourism and Heritage

• Economic significance: Tourism is Norfolk’s largest revenue generator—any perceived degradation of its “stunning landscapes” could undermine jobs and local businesses. Although RWE have pledged to protect historic views while development will undoubtedly create jobs.

• Infrastructure sprawl: Opponents highlight the need for four on-site substations, one off-site substation, and an extensive network of cabling and pylons, which they say threaten heritage assets and dark-sky areas. Although RWE insist cabling will be routed underground and solar panels will be limited to a height of between 1 and 3 meters from ground level.

3. Democratic and Planning Concerns

• Bypassing local planning: As a National Strategic Infrastructure Project, High Grove falls under the DCO regime rather than district or county planning committees—raising fears that local voices will be sidelined.

• Business rates retention: All non-domestic rates from the farm would go to the Treasury rather than local authorities, fuelling disquiet over who truly benefits. Although the proposed community benefit could compensate for this

4. Environmental Uncertainties

• Long-term landscape effects: While a 50 % Biodiversity Net Gain is promised, critics question whether planting schemes and screening can fully offset the permanent transformation of open countryside.

• Unknown land grades: Even though sheep grazing is allowed, the precise agricultural quality of the land and the suitability of integrating panels with existing farming systems remain unclear.

High Grove embodies the tensions at the heart of the UK’s green-energy transition. On one hand, it would deliver a transformative clean-energy boost, hastening progress to net zero, bolstering grid stability and funding local initiatives. On the other, its sheer scale, potential impact on productive farmland, and the manner in which it navigates the planning system have sparked deep unease among Norfolk’s communities and representatives.

As RWE prepares to submit its Development Consent Order in Autumn 2025, the upcoming public examination by the Planning Inspectorate will be the forum in which these competing visions for Norfolk’s future—renewable-energy champion versus guardian of its rural heritage—must be weighed and balanced.