Six Oaks Renewable Energy Park

Cambridgeshire, England

Introduction

On 21st December 2023, Ridge Clean Energy received planning permission for the Six Oaks Renewable Energy Park, consisting of a solar farm and battery energy storage system, on land between the A14 and A11, approximately 1km south east of the edge of Bottisham.

The progress of the project will be updated on this website, posting news on:

The Project
Project Timeline
Consultation
Community Partnership

You can contact the project team using the link above with comments, questions, or ideas.

View Site Boundary

Project Outline

The project would be located on privately owned arable land approximately 1km south east of the edge of Bottisham.
The project could generate up to 49.9MW of solar photovoltaic electricity.
The project could host up to 50MW of BESS (Battery Energy Storage System).
It is currently estimated that the solar farm will generate the equivalent electricity needs of approximately 10,700 East Cambridgeshire homes (based on average domestic consumption per household of 4,540kWh p.a., DBEIS 2022).
From the displacement of electricity generated from fossil fuel powered generation, the proposed development would offset the emissions of a significant quantity of carbon dioxide. This reduction in emissions would contribute to the national legislation of net zero emissions by 2050, as well as supporting the climate emergency declared by East Cambridgeshire District Council.
The project would result in a net gain for biodiversity, through new ecological and enhanced planting measures.
Once the renewable energy park is operating, funding will be made available to the local community to help fund community initiatives.

For more information on our community ethos and the community benefit fund for Six Oaks please click the links above.

Infrastructure, Surveys & EIA

Infrastructure

A range of infrastructure will be required as part of the new renewable energy park, which will include ground-mounted solar panels, inverters, a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), transformer units, switch gear and substation, and temporary construction compounds.

Surveys

Our proposals and designs for the site have been guided by data gathered during surveys, technical assessments, and by advice provided by independent environmental consultants. Surveys are now complete and the technical assessment reports accompany our planning application.

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)

A Screening Request was submitted to East Cambridgeshire District Council in January 2022 to determine whether the Six Oaks Renewable Energy Park would require an Environmental Statement. The response received in May 2022 stated that an Environmental Statement is required.

Solar Generation

49.9MW

Battery Storage

50MW

Homes Powered

Up to 10,700

Project Timeline

EIA Screening Request Submitted - January 2022 In January 2022, we submitted an EIA screening request to East Cambridgeshire District Council.

Presentation to Bottisham Parish Council - March 2022 In March 2022, we presented our initial concept to Bottisham Parish Council.

Two Public Exhibitions Held - March 2022 Later in March, we hosted two public exhibitions, one in Bottisham and the other in Great Wilbraham.

Planning Application Submissions - November 2022 We submitted our planning application to East Cambridgeshire District Council in November 2022 (validated on the 18th of November).

Planning Determination - 2023 On 21st December 2023 we received planning permission from East Cambridgeshire District Council.

Planning Condition Discharge Ongoing

Consultation

This page will provide updates on the project as it progresses.

Technical site assessments and surveys are now complete. The results have helped to inform the final site design and have been reported as part of our planning application submission to East Cambridgeshire District Council.

Ridge Clean Energy received planning permission for the Six Oaks Renewable Energy Park from East Cambridgeshire District Council on the 21st December 2023.

Public Exhibition March 2022

We held two public exhibitions, one at Wilbrahams’ Memorial Hall on Monday 28th March (1pm-8pm) and another at Bottisham Community Sports and Social Club, Poppy Lounge, on Tuesday 29th March (12noon-8pm).

Newsletters March 2022

We delivered over 1500 newsletters to households and businesses nearby the proposed application boundary.

Community Partnerships

As part of our community engagement we have been liaising with local groups and charities and have been pleased to already support important ongoing work locally.

RCE are working with Ely Foodbank to support people who are struggling with the cost-of-living and rising fuel costs. RCE have provided funding for fuel vouchers to be issued to residents in need, within Bottisham, Great Wilbraham, Little Wilbraham and Six Mile Bottom. For further information on how to access this scheme please find more information here (Wilbrahams Website). Individuals in need may wish to contact Ely Foodbank’ directly through their website form Contact Us | Ely Foodbank.

RCE are supporters of the Well-brahams’ Welcome Mornings, an initiative to provide a warm, safe space for people of all ages to socialize and connect with each other. As one supporter commented, ‘I enjoy the welcome and the chat. If you live on your own it gives you company and it makes a difference socially’.

We have sponsored ten trees for Bottisham Village College as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy, and supported the Bottisham coronation celebrations. Furthermore, we have provided funding for the installation of solar panels on the roof of Wilbrahams’ Memorial Hall and the new playground at Stow-cum-Quy.

RCE have worked with the Wilbrahams’ Environment Group (WEG) since the start of the project, listening and implementing their ideas with regards to biodiversity enhancement on the site. We have also introduced WEG to their local Wildlife Trust to work on a ‘Nature Recovery Plan’ for the local area.

Community Benefits

RCE work in partnership with your community to discover where we can help make a real difference. We are keen to identify local initiatives, for which our community expertise and seed capital can make a difference to local people. It is our aim to support existing community projects and help new ideas become a reality, whilst supporting the community’s path to Net Zero.

One of our community priorities is education, and we were delighted to be invited to Great Wilbraham Primary School to deliver a whole school assembly focused on renewable energy and solar power. RCE are committed to utilizing the educational opportunities that Six Oaks Renewable Energy Park will have to offer from primary level to higher education. We have recently launched The Ridge Climate Care Awards to encourage environmental awareness and action among the younger generation. The awards are available to use in primary schools or with community groups. They can be completed as part of the school curriculum or run as a club activity. Please click here to download our free resources.

Once constructed Six Oaks Renewable Energy Park would support a community benefit fund of £600 per MW, equating to £30,000 per year for the 49.9MW site. This fund would be managed by Bottisham, Great Wilbraham and Little Wilbraham and Six Mile Bottom Parish Councils and would be used to support local initiatives in the area.

If you have any ideas on how we can support your local area, please complete our Local Community Survey below.

Our Experience

We have an experienced Community Partnership Team that work with local communities to create enduring local benefits.

Each project is assigned a Community Partnership Coordinator, who will forge relationships with key stakeholders in the area to identify and develop local initiatives and ideas that will support the community and its path to Net Zero.

Alongside our experience, we can also provide up-front seed capital and support with fundraising for local projects, allowing a community to benefit right from the beginning of the partnership.

Ridge Clean Energy supports solar panel project for Wilbrahams’ Memorial Hall

Ridge Clean Energy (RCE) is delighted to support local community efforts and provide funding for Wilbrahams’ Memorial Hall Solar Panel project. With the installation of 60 solar panels and battery storage the hall will be ‘operationally net zero’, reducing electrical bills and therefore leaving more funds for essential community provision.

This project aligns with RCE’s key focus of helping communities become more sustainable and is supporting their work to achieve net zero carbon.

August 2024

Bottisham Village College pupils plant trees in honour of the Queen’s Green Canopy

In February this year, pupils from Bottisham Village School planted ten fruit trees – a selection of apple, pear and gages – on their temporary allotment at Anglesey Abbey. The trees were sponsored by Ridge Clean Energy and were planted to support the late Queen’s Green Canopy project ( see map here ). They will be moved to the school site when more robust and established.

This unique tree planting initiative was created to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022, and to draw attention to the two greatest challenges facing humankind: climate change and the decline in biodiversity. The project has created a living legacy of over one million trees planted in Her Majesty’s name across the nation, serving as a lasting tribute to Her Majesty’s extraordinary service to her country and her people.

As a company, Ridge Clean Energy are committed to improving our environment for the benefit of wildlife and future generations and as such are pleased to work with Bottisham Village College to support this worthwhile project.

March 2023

Community Survey

Project Documents

Below are the application documents that were submitted to East Cambridgeshire District Council in November 2022.

Please note that any comments sent via the channels outlined above do not constitute a formal representation to the Local Planning Authority. There will be an opportunity to submit formal representations to the Local Planning Authority upon submission of a planning application.

Comments

Providing comments or requesting a call back from a member of the project team using the forms below.

Email

Email us a comment or enquiry via the following email address sixoaks@theridgegroup.com.

Post

Or write to: Ridge Clean Energy, Noah's Ark, Market Street, Charlbury, OX7 3PL.