King Charles applies for planning permission to build massive solar farm with 2,000 panels on Sandringham estate
KING Charles is set to build a massive solar farm on his Royal Sandringham estate.
The eco-mad monarch has applied for planning permission for around 2,000 panels on the historic grounds.
The plans lodged with King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Council claim they will “meet current and predicted future electricity demands of the Sandringham Estate”.
They will be placed along 2.3 hectares of land and provide 2.1MW of energy.
Most will supply Sandringham House with a small amount exported to the grid.
The application says: “The proposed development forms part of the Estate’s ongoing commitment to sustainability and promoting environmental practices.”
The unsightly panels will be tucked away from tourists by being put on a grazing paddock – covered in grass and enclosed by tall trees.
It comes after solar panels were placed on the roof of Sandringham House two years ago.
King Charles is currently on a break in Scotland with Queen Camilla.
The royal couple, who celebrated their 19th wedding anniversary on Tuesday, arrived at Aberdeen Airport on Wednesday evening.
They will stay at Birkhall on the Balmoral estate for at least a week as Charles continues to recover from treatment for an unnamed cancer.
The trip north of the border is seen as a sign he is on the mend after spending two months in the capital or at Sandringham, Norfolk, to be close to London’s specialists and hospitals.
An insider said: “When he landed he had government red boxes, showing that even though he is off to relax in the Highlands, there is no time to stop working.
“The King and Queen traditionally spend their anniversary at Birkhall because that is where they had their honeymoon in 2005.
“But in typical fashion, the King was working on Tuesday and so it’s only now they are spending time together in Scotland.
“The King is raring to go and wants to get back to public duty after all this time off due to cancer but Camilla has already warned him he needs to slow down.
“Hopefully after a good period of rest and fresh air in Scotland he will be back to his best as there are a lot of big events on the horizon.”