Introduction
The Stop Deben Solar Action Group (SDSAG) is a voluntary group of residents from five Deben Valley villages. This website has been created to share fears about a proposed Solar Farm, and Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), across the villages of Easton, Letheringham and Hacheston in Woodbridge, Suffolk. However, this is not just about these villages - the impacts will be shared by our neighbouring villages in our glorious Deben Valley - and targets are spreading. We wish to inform residents, tourists and businesses about Solar Farms; particularly as such proposals are also happening across vast swathes of our countryside. We want to join forces with other villages in the fight to protect our countryside: for our wildlife, communities and future generations.
Key concerns include: close proximity to residential dwellings and businesses, landscape, public rights of way, traffic/safety (through numerous villages), flooding, noise, fire, pollution (from toxic chemicals), wildlife, tourism, local businesses, employment, heritage assets, loss of agricultural land (UK food security), the significant cable route to connect to the grid, amenity value, cumulative impact, as well as environmental concerns regarding the entire solar panel/infrastructure life-cycle (from manufacture to disposal). Many of these issues were debated in Parliament on 15th May 2025, led by Dr Caroline Johnson MP: "This debate will hopefully demonstrate that covering our best farmland with massive solar projects would be irreversibly damaging to the nation. I urge the Minister to listen to me, my fellow MPs and fellow citizens before it is too late”. https://www.parallelparliament.co.uk/debate/2025-05-15/commons/commons-chamber/solar-farms
We are even hearing concerns from the US: "I want to stop seeing them ruining that beautiful Scottish and English countryside with windmills and massive solar panels that go seven miles by seven miles, taking away farmland" [UN General Assembly, New York, Daily Mail, 23/09/25].
The video, “The Vandalism of the British Countryside” [03/05/25] provides an insight into the construction of Solar Farms: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DJHfUtdNLie/?igsh=MWhnZWs2NWZ5Y3F6NQ==
This can also be viewed via YouTube.
The impacts of Solar are being felt across numerous quintessential villages throughout the UK, as the video clip (August 2025) from Easton Maudit (Northamptonshire) shows: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ssSpS6C04M4
Background
On 18th February 2025 an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) screening opinion was submitted, on behalf of Quintas Cleantech (QC), to East Suffolk Council (ESC) for a very large Solar Farm and Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) across two sites in Easton and Letheringham. This would generate 49.9 MW of electricity (0.2MW under what is classed as a Nationally Significantly Infrastructure Project), and take towards a quarter of the land within the very heart of rural Letheringham, and within the Conservation area of Easton. Subsequent to a leaflet being delivered to some residents, QC held a Public meeting on 22nd April 2025 - here, residents were told (by QC!), that ESC had "already" made the controversial decision that no EIA would be required, enabling the developer to move swiftly to the Planning Application stage.
QC submitted their Planning Application (DC/25/2733/FUL) to ESC on 25th July 2025; subsequently a large volume of Objections were submitted raising "significant concerns". These concerns came from Local Communities, our Tourists, 14 Parish Councils, Framlingham Town Council, Statutory Consultees, our MP, our County Councillor, District Councillors, and 5 Consultants engaged by the Stop Deben Solar Action Group (SDSAG). An extension of time was agreed (between ESC and QC) until 27th February 2026 for further submissions from the applicant.
On 27th March 2026 further submissions became available (the applicant had been granted five months) - there are currently 610+ Objections. Originally the consultation expiry date was 21st April 2026, affording the community little time to respond over the Easter holidays. This was extended to 22nd May 2026, however, Stop Deben Solar, our Consultants, our MP and Councillors continued to press for a longer period and the consultation was extended to 12th June 2026. However, since the new EIA ruling (see Current Stage below), there is now plenty of time to Object.......?!
Proposed Development
Covering 70 hectares, or 173 acres, which is roughly equivalent to 115 football pitches.
For Letheringham, this is nearly a quarter of the land area within the very heart of this ancient community (within the 30mph limit and main Street).
For Easton, with its distinctive crinkle crankle Wall (said to be the longest example of such a construction), this Industrialisation (only a few metres away), is a juxtaposition which is difficult to comprehend. The cable route would also follow this ancient landmark, along the Conservation area of the main Street, risking the Wall's integrity with the construction vibrations required to implement this Industrial Scale proposal.
The Current Stage (Environmental Impact Assessment & Planning Application)
[last update: 11/09/26]
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSEMENT (EIA)
In May 2026, Stop Deben Solar’s planning consultant, James Bailey Planning Limited, submitted a legal opinion from leading planning Barrister Josef Cannon KC to East Suffolk Council (ESC). This concluded that ESC’s April 2025 EIA Screening (DC/25/0693/EIA) for the application was likely to have been unlawful. Thank you to everyone that submitted comments on the EIA screening opinion; we are delighted to inform you that ESC have now determined that an EIA is required. We encourage everyone to read the opinion issued by ESC (available on the ESC portal under DC/26/2623/EIA).
This is a very significant achievement and means that the development should now be assessed on the basis of its full scale and potential impact (see below). It means that the Planning Application (DC/25/2733/FUL) cannot be determined until the Applicant has produced an Environmental Statement, which we expect will take a significant amount of time. However, this should ensure that the full environmental effects are assessed openly, comprehensively, and lawfully.
The revised screening NOW includes the main solar and BESS land parcels, the 33kV interconnector cable, the 132kV grid connection cable to the Wickham Market substation (opposite Garnetts Gardens), and approximately 7.8km of cable route, much of it within the public highway. Once those works are considered together, the environmental footprint of the scheme is plainly wider than previously presented (18/02/25).
The cable route passes through, or close to, a number of sensitive locations, including the River Deben crossing, Flood Zones 2 and 3, ancient woodland and Tree Preservation Order areas, Easton Conservation Area, listed buildings in Letheringham, Easton and Hacheston, businesses, areas of archaeological potential, and important verges, hedgerows, trees and habitats.
Particular concern is identified around the proposed horizontal directional drilling beneath the River Deben, including potential impacts on groundwater, aquatic habitats and downstream nature conservation sites if a “frac-out” event occurred (unintentional return of drilling fluids to the river surface). The ecology comments also make clear that there remains insufficient certainty about mitigation, the technical suitability of the proposed crossing method, and the ecological assessment of the full cable route.
PLANNING APPLICATION
ESC will accept representations up to 24 hours before the Planning Committee meeting (date tbc), where a decision will be made. We appreciate this situation is confusing on the ESC portal. If you have not yet objected, or wish to reaffirm your earlier objection and/or make any further comment there is still time (note above EIA). Even a five-minute "one-liner" really matters - numbers matter - what ever you can do matters. Reaffirming your previous Objection is also important. To Object see the How Can I Help Page.
We are being told this Application has received an "unprecedented" response - THANK YOU - but PLEASE let's keep going! This will be a long journey, often relying on public fatigue, but the SDSAG remains fully committed. Success depends on collective action (we need your support) - without it, we risk allowing corporate and landowner interests to outweigh community voices and democratic processes.
We have created this website to enable residents, and visitors to Easton and Letheringham, as well as wider communities, to be “better informed” about the reality of Solar Power Stations – read as much/little as you wish. If you want to Object, you can use/refer to any information on this site. We have tried to be factual and evidence based throughout, and have noted that it has been challenging to find and include certain information.
Stop Deben Solar is a member of the UK Solar Alliance (www.uksolaralliance.org); which is composed of members representing over 174 Solar schemes on farmland across the UK. This totals around 141,583 acres of our Countryside. We are very appreciative of the UK Solar Alliance (UKSA) who provide invaluable support, evidence and advice, as we continue this challenging journey. We also work with, help and support other campaign groups across the UK to save our Countryside.
THANK YOU to everyone that has Objected (including our MP, County and District Councillors, 14 Parish Councils and Framlingham Town Council), our Key Public Individuals in various villages (you know who you are!), and to those that have contributed financially. This has enabled us to employ Consultants to robustly defend our countryside from this onslaught. Submissions have been made to ESC which address Planning, Landscape, Heritage and Traffic; which are on the ESC Public Portal (James Bailey Planning, 19/09/25). A Flooding report has also been submitted (Hestur Ltd, 26/11/25). A further submission from James Bailey Planning, which includes an opinion from Legal Counsel (Barristers Josef Cannon, KC, and Jack Barber), was submitted on 15/05/26.
On 14th June 2026, further Consultant reports were submitted - we encourage everyone to read them. They include expert reviews on Battery Energy Storage Systems (Safety and Risk response), Landscape response and Heritage response. The latter covering the Historic Landscape of Letheringham and The Great Wall of Easton (Crinkle Crankle wall). A further Flooding response is underway. And on 14th August 2026 another response from James Bailey Planning, in relation to the need for an EIA, became available. This has been a massive undertaking for our voluntary SDSAG (we've been busy!), however, we are eager to try and protect our Deben Valley from a decision, which will, in our opinion, change the landscape of our special villages for forever.
Why are we objecting to Solar Power Stations?
We believe that a holistic approach to renewable energy is vital for a sustainable future, which includes investment in Solar. However, such developments should be appropriately located: “roofs before rural”, contaminated sites, industrial land, brownfield sites, etc., and not within a heritage landscape, on agricultural farmland, within the heart of rural Letheringham, Easton, or any other such villages.
We believe such a development would engulf our communities, causing significant safety and pollution risks, as well as visual and audible harm to residents, businesses, wildlife and those further afield who regularly visit the area. Letheringham and Easton are known for their rural charm (as well as other Deben Valley villages), welcoming many walkers (“pram-pushers”), joggers, ramblers, horse riders, dog walkers, church visitors, cyclists, Easton harrier hounds, etc., daily - come rain or shine!
Our Deben Valley Villages are well known holiday destinations, deep in rural Suffolk, attracting invaluable tourist expenditure, supporting many small local businesses and residents. Transformation of this landscape into industrial, utility-grade Solar Power Stations would simply dwarf Letheringham, and would also have a massive impact on Easton, as well as other local villages. There is concern that it would also threaten the tourist industry that many businesses, and associated employees have come to rely upon. We believe that East Suffolk has already taken more than its fair share of Industrial Scale Infrastructure.