Government delays decision on £600m Sunnica Energy Farm

The project has been called Mallard Pass as the site is close to where Mallard broke the world speed record for a steam locomotive in 1938

A decision on what would be one of Europe's largest solar farms has been postponed until December.

The proposed Sunnica Energy Farm would span about 2,500 acres around several villages in Suffolk and Cambridgeshire.

A development application by Sunnica Limited was due to be decided by 28 September.

However, a new deadline of 7 December has now been set by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

Sunnica said it would continue to provide any necessary information.

The energy farm would be split across three separate sites connected by underground cables to each other and to the National Grid at Burwell substation.

The sites are:

• Sunnica East Site A, near West Row and Mildenhall

• Sunnica East Site B, south of the village of Worlington

• Sunnica West Site A, near Newmarket north of the A14

Sunnica claims the solar farm project would have a 40-year lifespan and the land used would be decontaminated and returned to its original - largely agricultural - use once the scheme is finished.

The company said its solar farm would power 172,000 homes and create 1,500 jobs during construction. Once completed there would be 27 full-time jobs running the farm.

Previously, the planned farm has been criticised for being "wholly out of character" with the surrounding areas.

East Cambridgeshire and Suffolk County Councils both opposed the plans.

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A spokesman for Sunnica said: "The UK needs to double the amount of renewable energy it generates by 2050.

"Sunnica would make a significant contribution to this goal. We will continue to work with the Secretary of State to provide them with any information they require to determine our DCO application."