Grieving woman whose late father was unable to get solar panels on his idyllic cottage learns a huge solar farm is planned 50ft away - in a conservation area

Published: 00:06, 21 July 2026 | Updated: 00:16, 21 July 2026 A grieving daughter fears she will be unable to sell her late father's pretty cottage after discovering a huge solar farm is planned next door – despite the fact he was previously refused permission to put solar panels on his roof. Derek Jessett lived in his home in a conservation area for 54 years and was keen to sign up to an environmentally friendly energy source but was told it wasn't possible. After he died aged 88 in April, his children began looking into selling the charming property, called Pisces, in Saxlingham Green, Norfolk, which was estimated to be worth £425,000. But they were shocked to find it could now be blighted by the East Pye solar scheme, which will cover 2,718 acres of farmland on ten sites across Norfolk – with some of the 14ft-high solar panels on a field just 50ft away from the house. The road in front could also be affected as it has been earmarked as a route for developer Island Green Power to transport heavy machinery and parts. Mr Jessett's daughter, Dawn Chrystal, 67, complained the uncertainty and potential upheaval in the area meant the cottage would be difficult to sell. 'One of the things that appealed when Dad came here was what a beautiful spot it was. It was so peaceful and quiet,' she told the Mail. 'There are open views of the fields at the back of the house and this is going to spoil it. All you'll see is the solar farm. Pisces, a cottage that is believed to have parts dating back 500 years, is 50ft away from a site where 14ft-high solar panels could be placed. The road may also be used for transporting heavy machinery and parts The cottage has views over rolling fields - but the marked area will have solar panels if the East Pye scheme is approved by Energy Secretary Ed Miliband Your browser does not support iframes. 'This will affect the value of houses. If this one was worth £425,000 and they're going to put that on my doorstep, would I pay £425,000?' Miss Chrystal, a holistic wellbeing therapist, added the property could be 'sitting here for another six or seven years' because people will worry about the 'risk' of buying. Construction of the East Pye solar farm in South Norfolk, which would generate about 500MW of power, is expected to begin in 2028 and should be completed after two years, with 'full energisation' by 2031. Nearly 2,000 formal comments have been submitted - the vast majority objecting to the plan - but any decision has been taken out of local authorities' hands because it is classed as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project. This means it falls under the sole purview of Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, whose pro-green policies have been accused of damaging the economy. South Norfolk Council, which covers Saxlingham Green, produced a document in 2018 which said the conservation area should be protected from further development. The authority said that wouldn't prevent residents from installing solar panels on their roofs and Miss Chrystal said it wasn't possible to establish why solar panels were forbidden on her father's home as he was too ill from prostate cancer to talk about it when he first mentioned it. However, the internal structure of the cottage – which was originally two separate dwellings - dates back around 500 years and it's possible it was considered too weak to bear the weight of panels. A council spokesman said: 'We can protect our conservation area [from certain developments] but that's a local planning decision. 'But the decision about this huge solar farm is taken by the Secretary of State.' The council was 'against East Pye as it is taking up too much agricultural land', he added, saying: 'And East Pye is just one part [of what's going on in the county] as there is another proposed solar panel of equal size in Tas Valley on the other side of south Norfolk, so it's thousands of acres of agricultural land that will be covered by these things. 'I don't think there's a council in Norfolk in favour of these things. They [energy firms] just seem to be targeting Norfolk and it's not only the solar farms we'll have to deal with but battery storage and super pylons which are three times higher than normal. 'These will take the energy down from the coast to London. None is going to be used in Norfolk.' The pylons are part of a £16 billion National Grid scheme, launched in April 2023, under which hundreds of miles of 'pylon highways' will be laid in parts of the country. This includes a 112-mile route from Norwich in Norfolk to Tilbury in Essex, as well as Grimsby in Lincolnshire to Walpole, near King's Lynn in Norfolk. Those living nearby are furious at the catastrophic effect the eyesores will have on their value of their homes or farmland. Dawn Chrystal, 67, who inherited the property along with her three siblings after their father passed away in April, complained the uncertainty and potential upheaval in the area meant the cottage would be difficult to sell The East Pye solar scheme will cover 2,718 acres of farmland on ten sites across Norfolk A South Norfolk Council spokesman complained developers appeared to be targeting the county and added: 'I don't think there's a council in Norfolk in favour of these things.' Campaigners accept the grid needs upgrading but argue other options, including underground cabling, are better. National Grid claims that this would be up to 14 times more expensive than pylons is out of date, they say. The property that was owned by Mr Jessett is affected by a development consent order that was sought by Island Green Power. This can compel named parties to allow work to be carried out on their land or even force them to sell it under a compulsory purchase order. Mr Jessett's son and three daughters only found out about this last month when a neighbour mentioned an official notice had been put up in the neighbouring village of Saxlingham Nethergate, which is a mile away. Miss Chrystal, of Belton, said the news following her father's death was a 'nightmare'. 'At first we were angry and then confused… we were completely oblivious to it,' she added. 'If the neighbour hadn't come and told us, we would not have known.' She claimed she had tried to get more information from the developers about their plans but had made no progress. An East Pye spokeswoman insisted the company had 'no intention to compulsorily purchase any homes or gardens' and a 'Book of Reference' had been created. '[This] document is designed to make sure people are informed and have the opportunity to be involved in the planning process, such as providing feedback directly to the Examining Authority during the examination process,' she said.