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Energy Infrastructure Planning Projects

Statement made on 12 December 2023

Statement UIN HLWS111

Statement

My Right Honourable Friend, the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero (Claire Coutinho MP), made the following statement today.

This Statement concerns an application for development consent made under the Planning Act 2008 by Sunnica Energy Farm for the construction and operation of a solar photovoltaic energy generation farm, situated across West Suffolk and East Cambridgeshire.

Under section 107(1) of the Planning Act 2008, the Secretary of State must make a decision on an application within three months of the receipt of the Examining Authority’s report unless exercising the power under section 107(3) of the Act to set a new deadline. Where a new deadline is set, the Secretary of State must make a Statement to Parliament to announce it.

The current statutory deadline for the decision on the Sunnica Energy Farm application is 7 December 2023.

I have decided to set a new deadline of no later than 7 March 2024 for deciding this application.

The decision to set the new deadline for this application is without prejudice to the decision on whether to grant or refuse development consent.

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This statement has also been made in the House of Commons

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
Energy Infrastructure Planning Projects
Claire Coutinho
The Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero
Conservative, East Surrey
Statement made 12 December 2023
HCWS116
Commons