A solar farm in Barkham that has been delayed for more than a decade could now be connected to the national grid in August 2026.
Wokingham Borough Council has plans to install 67,340 solar panels on the 35-hectare former site of High Barn Farm and part of Brook Farm on Doles Lane between Barkham and Finchampstead.
National Grid had previously warned that upgrades would be needed to transmit the energy to the grid. It said that with a long queue of other projects awaiting upgrades, the connection might not come until 2037.
Yet, there was fresh hope when National Grid announced a plan to ease the backlog, and prioritising selected projects in a plan to add an extra 10 gigawatts of capacity to the grid.
Now the council has said it has a written offer from energy distribution company Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks to connect the solar farm to the grid in August 2026.
Wokingham Borough Council said its legal teams are considering the offer and seeking further clarifications – and that more details will be presented to councillors on Monday, December 11.
The council also said that contractors will now complete survey work “over the next couple of months” and prepare a design to meet planning conditions.
