FAQs

East Park Energy is a proposed ground-mounted solar energy generating station and battery energy storage system located to the northwest of St Neots. The project would connect up-to 400 megawatts of solar power, along with up-to 100 megawatts of battery storage, to the electricity transmission network at National Grid’s Eaton Socon substation. Our proposals also include associated infrastructure, works to create, enhance and maintain the natural environment, and a Legacy Fund that would provide financial contributions to local projects.  

You can read more about our proposals here.

Proposals for East Park Energy are being developed by Brockwell Storage and Solar, formerly known as RNA Energy. 

RNA Energy was acquired by Brockwell Energy in March 2024. Our aim is to develop a pipeline of solar and battery storage projects, contribute to Brockwell Energy’s goal of developing five gigawatts of installed renewable generation capacity by 2030, and to support the UK’s transition to net zero. 

At the heart of our mission to produce clean, renewable energy are the communities in which we hope to develop and invest. As a responsible, people-focussed company, we are committed to creating projects that bring long-term community benefits. This includes job creation, public access, recreational opportunities and ecological enhancement. 

You can find out more about Brockwell at brockwellstoragesolar.com or brockwellenergy.co.uk. 

Solar power is generated through the conversion of energy from the sun into electricity. It’s a clean source of power, meaning that no carbon emissions are created when energy is generated in this way.

A BESS stores electricity in batteries until it is needed by the electricity transmission network, at which point it is discharged into the network. Battery energy storage systems mean that during times of low demand, power from renewables such as solar can be stored until it is needed. This means that we can take advantage of solar power even when the sun isn’t shining. 

Last year, we held an initial non-statutory consultation on our early plans for East Park Energy. Since then, our team has been busy developing detailed plans in response to consultation feedback and the results of environmental surveys. We are now seeking your views on these developed plans as part of a statutory consultation. 

The UK needs to take urgent action to respond to climate change and other factors, such as instability in global energy markets. The UK has a legally binding commitment to reduce carbon emissions to net zero (meaning that we will remove as much carbon from the atmosphere as we produce) by 2050, whilst Cambridgeshire County, Bedford Borough and Huntingdonshire District Councils all have their own net zero targets. 

As a country, we’ve already made a huge amount of progress towards meeting these targets. Government data shows that greenhouse gas emissions in the UK have fallen by 50% since 1990, but there’s a lot more still to do. Fossil fuels are still responsible for more than one quarter of the UK’s total electricity supply, whilst demand for electricity is forecast to roughly double between now and 2050. Renewable sources of energy, such as solar power, will be crucial to helping replace fossil fuel energy sources and to meeting future increases in energy demand. 

East Park Energy will be capable of connecting up-to 500 megawatts (MW) of power to the electricity transmission network at Eaton Socon substation. Up-to 400 MW will come from the solar development, whilst a further 100 MW will come from the battery energy storage system. 

Solar power is a clean source of electricity, meaning that no carbon emissions are created when energy is generated in this way. Some of the other benefits associated with solar include: 

• Solar power is cheaper to produce than fossil fuel sources of electricity 

• Solar and battery storage support the UK’s energy security by providing more homegrown power 

• Solar is generally quicker to build than other sources of renewable or low carbon power. 

Whilst we recognise that there are existing and planned solar developments in this area, there is a need to continue to develop solar projects in order to meet government targets, including that of decarbonising the electricity transmission system and tripling the amount of solar power produced in the UK by 2030.  

Whilst East Park Energy will not reduce your energy bills overnight, it will contribute to boosting the UK’s energy security, which should help to reduce the volatility of energy prices in the future. Solar power is significantly cheaper to produce than power from fossil fuel sources.  

Our proposals are split across an area totalling approximately 766 hectares in size. This figure includes all land required for the solar development, BESS facility, landscaping, cabling, access and grid connection.  

To make our proposals easier to understand, we have sub-divided them into four sites where above ground infrastructure would be located, along with linear corridors where underground cabling is proposed. You can find out more about this here.

You can read more about our proposals on our website here or in the Consultation brochure available in our Document library, but our proposals can be summarised as follows: 

• A solar farm capable of generating up-to 400 MW of clean power – more than enough for every home in Bedford and St Neots 

• A battery energy storage system capable of storing up-to 100 MW of electricity until it’s needed, so that the UK can benefit from solar power, even when the sun isn’t shining 

• A connection to the electricity transmission network at Eaton Socon substation, alongside associated infrastructure such as access roads and construction compounds 

• Works to create, enhance and maintain the natural environment, including the delivery of at least 10% biodiversity net gain 

• A Legacy Fund that would provide financial contributions to local projects, ensuring that those living locally benefit from our plans 

We received more than 370 pieces of feedback in response to last year’s consultation. Some of the recurring themes seen in this feedback included questions about the need for and location of the project, along with concerns about the potential impacts of the proposals on the environment, including the loss of agricultural land and impact on food security.  

All of this feedback, along with the results of ongoing technical assessments, has been carefully considered as part of the development of our proposals prior to the statutory consultation.  

You can read more about the feedback we received to our non-statutory consultation in our Non-statutory consultation report, which is available from our Document library.

In response to consultation feedback and ongoing survey works, we have made several changes to our proposals since last year’s consultation. The changes include: 

• Removing solar development from various locations, including a significant area south of Great Staughton in Site C, where archaeology surveys have identified the probable site of a previously unknown Roman Small Town. We have subsequently added an additional area of solar development in Site C to compensate for the loss of land elsewhere within this section, whilst also removing solar development from two areas within Site B 

• Identifying an additional location within Site D where the battery energy storage system and internal substation could be located 

• Changes to the position and alignment of the underground cable corridors between Sites B, C and D, and between Site D and Eaton Socon substation 

• Changes to proposed accesses, including the removal of two proposed access points along the B645 near Hail Weston, and the addition of two access north of Site D and west of Great Staughton 

• Consolidating and realigning fencelines across the proposal area, to ensure suitable buffers with public rights of way, avoid development in fluvial flood zones two and three, and to reduce the overall amount of fencing required. 

We are seeking your views on two locations where the BESS could be located. At last year’s non-statutory consultation, we proposed to build the BESS at a location within Site C (Option 1). In response to consultation feedback and environmental surveys, we are now showing an alternative area within Site D (Option 2) where the BESS and an internal substation could be located. 

Locating the BESS and internal substation within Site D would make it easier to access the site from the local road network during construction and operation, and in the event that the emergency services needed to access the site. However, the quality of the agricultural land at Option 2 is higher than that at Option 1. No decision on which site should be taken forward has been made at this time, and we are seeking your views on which option to proceed with as part of this consultation. 

To connect into the electricity transmission network at Eaton Socon substation, we will need to undertake works in order to facilitate our connection. These works will include building a new circuit breaker, switchgear, metering equipment and cable sealing end. We anticipate that these works would take place within the footprint of the existing substation. 

We are proposing to lay cables in open trenches, except where there is a need to cross beneath watercourses, vegetation, areas of archaeological constraint, and roads, where we may employ a trenchless solution (such as horizontal directional drilling) instead. 

Open trench construction involves digging trenches, laying underground cabling within these trenches and then recovering the trenches (using the original topsoil and subsoil, where possible).  

Trenchless crossing construction involves installing an underground duct or pipe, such as by drilling underneath the land surface. This approach does not require the removal of the topsoil or subsoil, and therefore minimises disturbance at the surface. 

Archaeology survey work has identified the probable site of a previously unknown Roman Small Town to the north and east of New Wood within Site C. This archaeological feature is likely to be of national significance, so we applied to the Government for the remains to be scheduled, which should give them protection in perpetuity. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport confirmed that the site has been given scheduled monument status in September 2024. 

As a result of this find, we are no longer proposing to build solar panels on any of the land that has been scheduled. We are instead proposing to seed this area with species-diverse grassland, which would provide ecological benefits and help protect the site from cultivation for the lifetime of the project. Additionally, we will work with Historic England, Cambridgeshire County Council and the landowner on options for how we can maintain this important find in the future. Potential options include providing funding for further research into the findings, along with opportunities for the local community to engage with the findings, such as through planned digs, which would be subject to receipt of Scheduled Monument Consent, and knowledge-sharing events. 

You can read more about our archaeology findings in Chapter 7 of the PEIR, which is available from our Document library.

We have sought to avoid the use of high-quality agricultural land, including that which is classified as ‘best and most versatile’, where possible when developing our proposals. However, there are various constraints, including the general high quality of farmland in the area, the need to remain within 15km of our agreed connection point at Eaton Socon substation, and the topography/nature of some land within our search area, which mean that our proposals do still involve building solar infrastructure on some high-quality farmland. 

We estimate that it would take four years to displace the lifetime greenhouse gas emissions associated with the project. 

You can read more about how we have calculated these figures in Chapter 15 of the Preliminary environmental information report, which is available from our Document library.

Our application for development consent will seek permission to operate East Park Energy for a total of 40 years.  At the end of this period, the land on which the project is built will be returned to a condition suitable for return to its original use after decommissioning, with the exception of areas of planting (woodland and hedgerows) which would be retained post-decommissioning. 

We estimate that our proposals would generate 20 full-time equivalent (FTE) roles during the operational phase. This would include 12 FTE roles working on site maintenance, five FTE roles working in management and administrative roles, and three FTE roles working in land management (such as landscape and maintenance and agriculture). 

Construction of the project is expected to take between 30 to 36 months, whilst decommissioning works are expected to take between 12 and 24 months. 

We are proposing that construction works will take place between 8am and 6pm, Monday to Friday, and between 8am and 1pm on Saturdays. We are not proposing any construction activity on Sundays or bank holidays. 

We are not proposing to permanently close any PRoW as part of our proposals.  

Some temporary diversions of PRoW may be required during the construction phase. Management of PRoW is likely to include the use of fencing to separate public rights of way of construction traffic and activities. At some locations, banksmen would be utilised when construction traffic is required to cross a PRoW. 

During the operational phase it is expected that all PRoW would be maintained on their existing alignment and that no diversions or closures would be required. 

Our proposals will deliver significantly above the minimum 10% biodiversity net gain required for projects of this type, including through the delivery of: 

• 197 hectares of species-diverse grassland 

• 464 hectares of neutral grassland or grazing pasture 

• 13 hectares of native species woodland 

• 17 kilometres of native species hedgerow 

• 350 individual hedgerow trees 

You can read more about our plans to deliver biodiversity net gain in Chapter 7 of the PEIR, which is available from our Document library.

We are proposing a Legacy Fund that could provide financial contributions to local projects.  As part of this consultation, we are seeking your views on how this Legacy Fund could be delivered, including different options for the distribution of this funding.  

You can read more about this in Chapter 7 of our Consultation brochure, which is available from our Document library.

The statutory consultation is an important stage in the development process for nationally significant infrastructure projects. Under the Planning Act 2008, it is the legal consultation we must hold before we can submit our application for development consent.  

During the consultation period we are holding a total of four public consultation events: 

• Tuesday 1st October, 2pm-7pm, Keysoe Village Hall 

• Wednesday 2nd October, 2pm-7pm, Little Staughton Village Hall 

• Friday 11th October, 2pm-7pm, Hail Weston Village Hall 

• Saturday 12th October, 11am-3pm, Great Staughton Village Hall 

At each event information about our proposals will be on display, and we’ll have paper copies of our key consultation documents available for visitors to take away. Members of the project team will also be on hand to talk through our proposals and answer any questions. 

Additionally, for those who have more detailed questions about our proposals we are holding a day of one-to-one meetings: 

• Tuesday 22nd October, 10am-2pm, Pertenhall Village Hall 

Appointments are available on a first come first served basis. You must have an appointment before attending, otherwise we won’t be able to see you. You can submit a request to book an appointment here.

We have written to everyone in the parishes the project would be located in with a newsletter that provides details of our consultation and signposts to further sources of information. We have also written to a range of prescribed and non-prescribed consultees, including parish councils, local councillors, technical stakeholders (such as the Environment Agency and Historic England) and hard to reach groups. We are also advertising the consultation on social media. 

The nature, size and location of our proposals means that we are undertaking an Environmental impact assessment (EIA) when developing our plans. The purpose of this assessment is to assess the likely significant effects (both adverse) and beneficial of our proposals on the environment.  

As part of our statutory consultation, we have a duty to prepare and consult on Preliminary environmental information. We have therefore published a Preliminary environmental information report (PEIR) as part of this consultation. 

As part of our development consent order application, we will submit a more detailed version of the PEIR known as an Environmental statement. The PEIR we have published as part of this consultation is more detailed than required at this stage, and features a similar level of detail to what will be published in the Environmental statement. 

Our statutory consultation is running between Tuesday 24th October and Tuesday 29th October 2024 – a total of five weeks. 

Please ensure you have submitted your response to our consultation by 11:59pm on Tuesday 29th October 2024. 

The easiest way to respond to our consultation is by completing our online feedback form here. Paper copies of our feedback form will be available at our in-person events, or you can download and print a copy from our Document library. You can also contact us to request that a paper feedback form be sent to you in the post. Please send completed paper feedback forms or letters to Freepost EAST PARK ENERGY – no further stamp or address is needed. 

If you prefer to send us your comments via email, please send them to info@eastparkenergy.co.uk. 

Following the close of our consultation we will review all feedback as we prepare our application for development consent, which we expect to submit in early 2025. 

As part of our development consent order (DCO) consultation, we will prepare and submit a Consultation report. This report will set out all of the feedback we received to our pre-application consultations, including how we have considered this feedback and any changes we have made to our plans as a result of it. It is not our policy to provide individual responses to consultation feedback. 

As East Park Energy is a nationally significant infrastructure project (NSIP), we are seeking permission to build, operate and decommission the project through a development consent order (DCO) application. 

A DCO application is a special type of planning application. Unlike most planning applications, the final decision on DCO applications sits with the relevant Secretary of State rather than with the local planning authority. Despite this, local councils remain a key consultee throughout the application process. 

You can read more about the DCO process on the Planning Inspectorate’s website here. 

The DCO process is how we will apply for permission to build, operate and decommission East Park Energy. It is the planning system used for nationally significant infrastructure projects, of which East Park Energy is one. 

There are six stages to the DCO process: 

1. Pre-application – we are here 

1. Acceptance 

1. Pre-examination 

1. Examination 

1. Recommendation and Decision 

1. Post-decision 

You can read more about the DCO process on the Planning Inspectorate’s website here. 

Yes, once the Planning Inspectorate has decided whether our application meets the standard required to proceed through the Examination process, it will invite members of the public to register as an Interested Party by submitting a Relevant Representation. Registering as an Interested Party entitles you to take part in the Examination of our application, which will be caried out by the Examining Authority, an independent panel appointed by the Planning Inspectorate. 

You can read more about the DCO process on the Planning Inspectorate’s website here. 

From submission of an application through to the Secretary of State’s decision, the DCO process typically takes around 15 months.