We need a few more volunteers to help out on the afternoon of our walk, on 21 March in Weston Colville. We have spaces for sit down volunteers, walk marshals and washer-uppers in the kitchen: something for everyone. 

Are you able to help out for two hours? Please reply here or drop us a line on [email protected] for more information. Thanks in advance for your help!

JOIN US FOR A COMMUNITY WALK & TALK — FOLLOWED BY AN EVENING FUNDRAISER FOR THE LEGAL FUND

Saturday 21 March

The afternoon programme

2.00pm – Community Walk

A 2.2-mile circular route through this beautiful landscape. Walking the area is the best way to understand the scale of the proposed panels, fencing and infrastructure. (It may be muddy — please bring boots!)

From 2.30pm – Warm up at the Reading Rooms

Prefer not to walk? Join us for refreshments and conversation.

3.30pm – Campaign Update

A short talk outlining the current proposals, what they could mean for our high-quality farmland and nearby homes, and the next steps in our campaign.

Come and see for yourself what could be at stake: https://kingswaysolarcommunityaction.co.uk/community-walk-discover-the-true-scale-of-kingsway/

The evening programme

5.00–8.00pm – Community Social & Quiz

Weston Colville Reading Rooms

Tickets: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/againstkingswaysolarfundraiser

Help us raise funds for our legal fund so we can put forward the strongest possible case in opposing the proposed solar farm.

Some of you have been asking how to register for updates from the Planning Inspectorate about Kingsway Solar — and now is a really good time to do it.

With the DCO application from Kingsway Solar expected towards the end of March, it’s important that residents stay informed about key milestones and any upcoming events.

To register for updates:

Go to the Planning Inspectorate’s project page for Kingsway Solar on the National Infrastructure Planning website. https://national-infrastructure-consenting.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/projects/EN010165

Scroll down the page and click on “Get Updates”.

Enter your email address when prompted and confirm your subscription.

Once registered, you’ll receive email notifications about important developments, consultations and deadlines related to the project.

Staying informed ensures you don’t miss any key stages in the process.

In our series of posts exploring the next stages of the Kingsway Solar process, we turn to what really matters: Evidence, experts and hearings – where the decisions are made

Once the application is accepted by the Planning Inspectorate, the Examination phase begins. Here the focus shifts to evidence and expert opinion. This is where proposals are properly tested and where decisions are shaped.

The process will involve appointed experts reviewing Kingsway’s application and identifying key areas of concern in a final report. This is likely to include commissioning specialist assessments, such as a landscape appraisal and expert input on lithium battery storage and hydrology, among others.

The Inspectors will then hold a Preliminary Hearing to decide which issues will actually be examined. This is a crucial stage. It won’t be a free-for-all, only issues judged to be relevant and capable of influencing the outcome will be explored in detail.

That’s why focus and discipline matter. The strategy has to concentrate on the arguments that genuinely carry weight and could persuade the Inspectors that, overall, the application should be refused.

This work is complex and demanding, which is why expert evidence and strong legal arguments are essential. 

To support ongoing legal work, continued backing is being sought via CrowdJustice, with a current funding target of a further £50,000 by the end of March. A small administration fee applies, and any unused funds are returned to the donor (e.g. if Kingsway decides to end their development).

In short: this is where preparation counts — and where support makes a real, practical difference.  

To make a pledge, go to: https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/kingswaysolarcommunitylegalaction/

In short: the real fight lies ahead — and preparation is everything.

To read more: https://kingswaysolarcommunityaction.co.uk/kingsway-solar-farm-where-things-stand-and-what-happens-next/

To get updates from the Planning Inspectorate, go to: https://national-infrastructure-consenting.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/projects/EN010165

What happens next if the DCO application for Kingsway Solar is submitted and accepted 

If Kingsway sticks to its current timetable, the next step is a Development Consent Order (DCO) application, expected around March 2026.

Once submitted, the Planning Inspectorate appoints one or more Inspectors and has 28 days to decide whether the application is “fit to be accepted”. This is largely a technical, box-ticking stage, and there’s no formal role for objectors at this point.

If the application is accepted, the process moves into the Examination phase. This is where it really starts to matter. 

Parish Councils, community groups and individuals can register as Interested Parties. The Parish Council Alliance, representing over 20,000 impacted parishioners, intends to act collectively with KSCA and is being represented by Richard Buxton Environmental & Public Law, with a barrister presenting arguments at hearings. *Not all impacted parish councils are members of the Parish Council Alliance.

From this stage on, written submissions and evidence are critical. This is where the substance of the challenge is built. Community involvement counts, but only if it’s organised, well advised and focused on the strongest planning arguments.

To stay informed, please join as a KSCA member https://kingswaysolarcommunityaction.co.uk/how-to-join-us/ 

To support the ongoing legal work, pledges can be made via CrowdJustice, a crowdfunding platform for legal cases. A small administration fee applies, and any unused funds are returned to the donor (e.g. if Kingsway decides to end their development). The current target is a further £50,000 by the end of March.

To make a pledge, go to: https://www.crowdjustice.com/.../kingswaysolarcommunityl.../

In short: the real fight lies ahead — and preparation is everything.

Read more here: https://kingswaysolarcommunityaction.co.uk/kingsway-solar-farm-where-things-stand-and-what-happens-next/

Want to know where things stand with Kingsway Solar Farm — and what happens next?

Join us at our AGM on Wednesday 11 February, 7–8pm at The Reading Rooms, Weston Colville.

We’ll be explaining:

- Where the project currently sits in the planning process

- ⁠What the next key stages will be

- ⁠How our campaign is preparing for what comes next

- ⁠How you can get involved and support the effort

This is an important moment in the process, and community awareness and involvement really matter.

We hope to see you there.

To keep updated with the latest news, go to: https://kingswaysolarcommunityaction.co.uk/kingsway-solar-farm-where-things-stand-and-what-happens-next/

Concerns were raised in Parliament by Richard Fuller MP about the proposed 1,900-acre East Park solar and battery scheme in North Bedfordshire — larger than Gatwick and covering 74% high-quality farmland.

The key message: renewables must be delivered in the right place and at the right scale, without sacrificing prime farmland or overwhelming rural communities.

Read the debate here: https://www.parallelparliament.co.uk/.../east-park-energy...

Watch it here: https://www.facebook.com/reel/868335592663462

📅 Wednesday 11 February

⏰ 7–8pm

📍 Weston Colville Reading Rooms

Join us for the KSCA AGM, where we’ll update you on our community and legal campaigns over the past year, and share our plans for 2026 – all made possible by the incredible support of our volunteers and wider community!

The AGM will include the re-election of committee members, and we currently have two committee positions available. If you’d like to get involved and help shape what we do next, we’d love to hear from you.

There will be plenty of opportunity to ask questions, and we look forward to meeting you in person.

✨ All welcome – please come along!

Deadline: 4 February

This consultation still counts — but only if you respond.

.

KSCA’s key concerns 

1️⃣ These changes were not requested

 Most of the proposed changes introduce new panel locations. With limited exceptions, they do not arise from community or statutory consultation feedback.

2️⃣ Impacts are worse, not better

The revised scheme:

- Increases use of Best and Most Versatile (BMV) farmland

- Removes land previously identified for environmental mitigation and BNG

- Intensifies visual and noise impacts along the Icknield Way and other PRoWs

- Expands BESS and substations in sensitive locations without adequate evidence

3️⃣ Fundamental design problems remain

 Large late increases in BESS and substation size expose serious flaws in the original design and reinforce that the statutory consultation was not fit for purpose.

Act now

🗓 Deadline: 4 February

 ✉️ Respond to Kingsway Solar 👉 by emailing at [email protected] or by post to FREEPOST DOWNING KINGSWAY (no stamp required). If emailing, please copy KSCA at [email protected] into your email.

 🗣 Encourage friends, neighbours, walkers, riders and local groups to respond

For further information visit the Kingsway Solar website: https://kingswaysolarfarm.co.uk/consultation.

This isn’t a clarification – it’s a correction

The consultation documents repeatedly stated that the construction haul road would run “along the existing byway.” Residents reasonably understood this to mean the public right of way itself.

Kingsway now says the route would be built alongside the byway.

🚜 That difference is material and significant.

🚜 The new haul road runs across farmland and will be needed for construction and maintenance 

📌 Community concern did not arise from misunderstanding. It arose because the consultation information was poorly constructed, ambiguous and misleading.

Trust depends on clarity. This change highlights a failure of the consultation process, not a failure of public understanding.

👉 Tell Kingsway this is unacceptable by emailing at [email protected] or by post to FREEPOST DOWNING KINGSWAY (no stamp required). If emailing, please copy KSCA at [email protected] into your email.

For further information visit the Kingsway Solar website: https://kingswaysolarfarm.co.uk/consultation

TARGETED CONSULTATION – The “Clarification” on Construction Access

This isn’t a clarification – it’s a correction

The consultation documents repeatedly stated that the construction haul road would run “along the existing byway.” Residents reasonably understood this to mean the public right of way itself.

Kingsway now says the route would be built alongside the byway.

🚜 That difference is material and significant.

🚜 The new haul road runs across farmland and will be needed for construction and maintenance 

📌 Community concern did not arise from misunderstanding. It arose because the consultation information was poorly constructed, ambiguous and misleading.

Trust depends on clarity. This change highlights a failure of the consultation process, not a failure of public understanding.

👉 Tell Kingsway this is unacceptable by emailing at [email protected] or by post to FREEPOST DOWNING KINGSWAY (no stamp required). If emailing, please copy KSCA at [email protected] into your email.

For further information visit the Kingsway Solar website: https://kingswaysolarfarm.co.uk/consultation

Changes likely reflecting feedback on limitations of the original layout

Kingsway Solar now proposes substantially larger substations and Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) compounds across Development Areas A, B and C.

⚠️ Kingsway confirms that:

- Substations and BESS compounds were significantly under-sized in the original design

- “Further detailed engineering work” has led to major increases in land take

- These changes were not identified prior to the statutory consultation

📏 What is now proposed:

The BESS compound would extend roughly the length of Balsham High Street from bus stop to bus stop, comparable in scale to Weston Colville or Weston Green

Each substation is around the size of a churchyard, excluding additional access, security and operational land

📌  It is possible that some of the increase in the BESS compound area reflects responses to statutory consultation feedback, particularly around safety. This could include:

- Wider spacing between battery containers in line with fire service recommendations

- Provision for on-site firewater and contaminated run-off storage, potentially in underground tanks

This raises a critical concern: why were these requirements not incorporated from the outset?  

💬 KSCA’s position:

While improved safety measures are essential, they do not negate the fundamental risks and impacts associated with a large-scale BESS in this location

👉 Action:

 Challenge Kingsway Solar directly  by email at [email protected] or by post to FREEPOST DOWNING KINGSWAY (no stamp required). If emailing, please copy KSCA at [email protected] into your email.

For further information visit the Kingsway Solar website: https://kingswaysolarfarm.co.uk/consultation

“Not What We Asked For” – Understanding the Kingsway Solar Changes

Kingsway Solar says these updates reflect community feedback. But do they?

Most of the changes expand the overall footprint of panels and substations, largely because battery storage and substation areas were seriously under-provided in the original design.

The result:

- New and expanded panel areas

- Larger battery storage and substation sites

- Greater impact on Best and Most Versatile (BMV) farmland

- Increased harm to sensitive landscapes and public rights of way

- Wildlife habitats disrupted and removed

📌 This targeted consultation introduces major new impacts that were not properly assessed during the statutory consultation.

👉 Tell Kingsway this isn’t acceptable – respond directly by email at [email protected] or by post to FREEPOST DOWNING KINGSWAY (no stamp required). If emailing, please copy KSCA at [email protected] into your email.

For further information visit the Kingsway Solar website: https://kingswaysolarfarm.co.uk/consultation

Suffolk Fire Service has described large BESS as an “emerging risk” and called for stronger enforcement powers. National bodies say serious incidents are uncommon but acknowledge that guidance and risk management are still evolving.

Community groups such as KSCA and Say No to Sunnica stress that a full risk assessment and mitigation should be publicly scrutinised before planning consent, not after.

https://www.suffolknews.co.uk/newmarket/news/residents-live-in-fear-over-solar-farm-high-risk-battery-9448422/

Please see the targeted consultation launched today, with a 4 week turnaround:

Documents – Kingsway Solar Farm

Please digest the information and begin thinking of your response.

Following our fundraising meeting last night, I am pleased to report that we have raised sufficient funds to pay the next legal bill.  Thank you for your support.

We will be providing a more detailed legal campaign update very soon (aiming for the weekend).

Thanks 

The deadline for objections is fast approaching - 29 October.

If you need help writing your letter, please get in touch with KSCA.

Thank you for your support.

Our next legal bill is at the end of October.

This will be paying for finalisation of some key reports.

The Legal team and Barrister will also be planning the next steps.

The bill is expected to be £25,000.

Please keep sharing the campaign details on social media.

We will keep fighting for you!

Hi team Kingsway!

Just a quick update.

As you know, our overall expectation for legal costs is upwards of £150,000.

Each of our crowdjustice campaigns can run for 30 days, and then we start a new one.  This is just the way their system works.

Crowdjustice have advised us to have a lower target for each 30 day campaign - so we've gone for £15k for this one.

If we smash the £15k because of your generosity, that's absolutely fine.

If you have any questions about fundraising please get in touch.  You can email me via [email protected].

Thanks

Faye

🌍⚡ Conservationists warn that large solar farm developments could push rare wildlife habitats “beyond the point of no return.”

Studies link some solar farms to declines in birds, bats, and pollinators, raising concerns about long-term biodiversity loss.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx27nd0kn2no

#SolarFarms #Wildlife #Biodiversity