Update from EDF regarding Flore Solar Farm

What is the voltage of the underground cabling? 33 kV. This is on the lower end of the range for electrical distribution and transmission cables which are typically from 11 kV to 400 kV.

Why isn’t the cabling going along the M1 to avoid Harpole? We have chosen the most direct route from the project substation, which will be situated approximately 1 km north of the M1. Following consultation with stakeholders we have obtained planning consent for this route from West Northamptonshire Council. In the early stages of the project, a route along the M1 away from Harpole was considered but this was discounted for the following reasons:

• There is an embankment along the M1 at that point which would be difficult to install the cabling within and would constitute a health and safety risk to personnel. The embankment is also full of trees and vegetation which would increase environmental impacts compared to the consented route.
• It would be very difficult to obtain the necessary permits to install cabling within the M1 itself, being a main motorway. The Junction 16 roundabout would also be challenging to run the cabling through or around.
• Running the cabling through greenfield land north of the M1 to avoid Harpole would require it to cross several third party private landholdings and result in greater disturbance to vegetation/trees than the consented route.

In summary, the consented route was deemed most feasible from a technical/engineering perspective, most direct and with the lowest long-term environmental impacts. We understand that this would not be the preferred route by local residents but the construction works would be temporary and undertaken with mitigation methods to minimise/avoid disturbance, as set out in our planning documents including the approved Construction Traffic Management Plan.

How much energy will be generated by Glassthorpe solar farm? We have secured a grid connection to export 41 Megawatts of electricity to the grid. Glassthorpe will produce enough electricity to supply the equivalent of over 12,000 homes a year.

Will there be any benefits for Harpole? There will be a community benefit fund of £20,000/annum for the 40-year operational period of the solar farm (once it is constructed). The fund will be managed by an independent third-party non-profit foundation, to be appointed by a tender process once our Final Investment Decision is made towards the end of the year. The funding is intended to support initiatives and projects that benefit the local community, for example:

• Education and Training
• Biodiversity and habitat conservation
• Recreation and Sport
• Promote community spirit and encourage community activity
• Improve outdoor spaces
• History and Heritage
• Other projects which are community-based and/or community-led

Members of local communities near Glassthorpe solar farm (including Harpole) will be eligible to sit on the panel of the community benefit fund.

Overall we understand that members of the Parish Council and local residents are concerned about potential disruption during the installation of the cabling and we will provide more detailed information on our plans and timing of the works in Harpole prior to construction in early 2026. We will also explain the concerns raised during the meeting to our contractors and work with them to minimise potential lane closures as requested.