Firsfield Solar Farm (46.9 MW)
Firsfield Solar Farm is a 46.9 MW solar farm project in West Suffolk, England. Its status in the Renewable Energy Planning Database (July 2026 extract) is: approved on 30 April 2024, not yet built; the record was last updated on 2 March 2026.
46.9 MWsolar farm
approved, not builtstatus in REPD
2 March 2026record last updated
West Suffolkcouncil area
Planning timeline
| Date | Stage |
|---|---|
| 6 April 2022 | Application submitted |
| 30 April 2024 | Planning permission granted |
| 30 April 2027 | Permission due to expire (unless work starts) |
Project details
- Technology
- solar farm
- Capacity
- 46.9 MW
- Status (REPD)
- approved, not built
- Record last updated
- 2 March 2026
- Operator or applicant
- Enray Power Limited
- Planning authority
- West Suffolk
- Planning application reference
- DC/22/0445/FUL
- Site area
- 100.3 ha
- Address (REPD)
- E/O Firsfield, Bardwell, Bury St Edmunds
- Council area (by location)
- West Suffolk
- Time to decision
- 108 weeks
- Contracts for Difference
- AR7a
- REPD reference
- 9416
The scheme also includes battery storage, recorded separately in REPD (approved, not built).
Who decides
| Applications | West Suffolk | UK |
|---|---|---|
| Decided applications (solar, wind, battery) | 38 | 10,236 |
| Refused | 5 (13%) | 19% |
| Solar refused | 4 of 33 | 12% |
| Battery storage refused | 1 of 5 | 16% |
| Median time from submission to decision | 13.9 weeks | 17.0 weeks |
| Appeals lodged / allowed | 3 / 1 | — |
Other large projects within 10 km
| Project | Type | MW | Status | km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bardwell Fields, Knox Lane Solar Farm | solar farm | 42 | application submitted | 3.2 |
| Honington Solar Farm | solar farm | 13.6 | operational | 4.1 |
| Hall Farm and Field Barn Farm | solar farm | 34 | refused | 9.5 |
| Woodlands Farm | solar farm | 49.9 | approved, not built | 9.6 |
| West Farm (Barnham) | solar farm | 29 | refused on appeal | 9.7 |
| Whitebreads Farm | solar farm | 10 | refused | 9.8 |
| Ingham North Solar | solar farm | 14.2 | operational | 9.9 |
Status and dates as recorded in the Renewable Energy Planning Database (July 2026 extract); the database is compiled from public sources and can lag behind council decisions. Location: REPD grid reference (52.3508, 0.8468).