Barkham Solar Farm gets go-ahead

3 Aug 2026

Wokingham Borough Council's Liberal Democrat administration confirmed it will proceed with the Barkham Solar Farm at the Executive meeting on 30 July 2026. The project is forecast to deliver over £1 million a year in net income for council services, alongside enough clean, locally generated power for more than 10,500 homes.

The decision follows months of uncertainty after national grid connection reforms paused the project earlier this year. Officers have now secured significantly greater clarity on the connection timetable, and updated financial modelling shows the scheme remains robust even under cautious assumptions about delay.

Cllr Imogen Shepherd-Dubey, Executive Member for Finance and Governance, said:

"The Barkham Solar Farm is not just important for our energy security, but will generate significant revenue for the Council which will go directly into protecting vital services."

Cllr Lou Timlin, Executive Member for Climate Emergency, said:

"Barkham Solar Farm is a key project in our Climate Emergency Action Plan. Taking action on climate is more urgent than ever as we experience widespread drought and record breaking heat, which has killed thousands of people across the country this summer.

“Alongside the smaller Mereoak Park & Ride solar project, Barkham will deliver a big increase in clean energy for the borough.”

Cllr Catherine Glover, Chair of the Climate Emergency Overview & Scrutiny Committee, said:

"The cross-party Overview & Scrutiny Committee reviewed the latest business case in November 2025, and received updates on the connection review process as this year progressed. As with any major project, questions were raised but there was overall support for the project, and it is good to see it progressing."

Wokingham Conservatives are now raising objections to a scheme their own administration approved in 2021. This is in step with a national Conservative party requirement for prospective parliamentary candidates to reject the UK's net zero target - a target which was put into law by their own party under Teresa May.

While the Liberal Democrats remain committed to climate action, the decision to proceed with the Barkham Solar Farm has been made on a financial basis considering the balance of risks.

In addition to supporting the council’s finances, the Wokingham Borough Liberal Democrats also welcome the wider benefits the project will bring: as well as carbon reductions, the scheme is expected to more than double biodiversity on site, plus a new greenway providing a walking and cycling route connecting Arborfield Green and Finchampstead towards Wokingham town.

Subject to final contract sign-off in the coming weeks, construction is expected to begin later this year, with the solar farm targeting grid connection in September 2027.

Frequently Asked Questions about Barkham Solar Farm

For projects the size of Barkham Solar Farm, Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) are generally only available to sell power for up to 3-5 years. Most buyers are not interested in signing a PPA until a project is built and ready to generate power. Reducing risk by signing a long-term contract such as through the government’s Contract for Difference programme also comes with the trade-off of a lower fixed price.

A range of scenarios have been modelled to test the resilience of the business case to potential future price changes, and work is ongoing to engage with the market when the project has a clear energisation date. The decision to proceed will help with power sale conversations.

It's also worth noting that the Council already buys electricity for its own operations - so if prices rise or fall for Barkham, that change is partially offset by prices moving in the same direction for the power the Council itself uses.
Following national grid connection reforms announced in December 2025, the timetable for a full ("firm") grid connection was pushed back.

While the Council is still awaiting formal contractual confirmation from the network operator, SSEN, detailed technical assessment now shows expected curtailment (the amount of power the farm may be prevented from exporting) at very low levels - around 0.04–0.06% - through to 2029.

While this isn’t yet contractually confirmed, this risk has to be weighed against the risk of further cost increases if the project is delayed, at a time of ongoing inflationary pressure on construction and borrowing costs.
Updated financial modelling shows the scheme is forecast to generate average annual net income in excess of £1 million over its 40-year operational life - well above the £200,000 minimum threshold set when the scheme was first approved in 2021.

This threshold is still met even under cautious scenarios for delayed firm grid connection.
In 2021, Executive and Full Council approved the business case for the Barkham Solar Farm. Councillors also approved delegated authority to the Deputy Chief Executive (S151 Officer), in consultation with the relevant Lead Member (currently Cllr Imogen Shepherd-Dubey), to determine the final extent and configuration of the scheme, provided that average annual net income remains above £200k. This delegation reflected the expectation that the scheme would evolve as design, cost and delivery assumptions became more developed.