King Charles plans solar farm at Sandringham in Norfolk

Sandringham Estate has applied for planning permission to site 2,000 panels on land off Admirals Drive, near the Royal Sawmill.

A planning statement says it forms part of the estate's "ongoing commitment to sustainability and promoting environmental practices" and follows the installation of a small solar array to the roof of Sandringham House in 2022.

The site of the proposed solar farm at Sandringham (Image: Google)

"The solar system has been specified to deliver approximately 1.9MW per annum and is designed to meet the majority of the Estates’ electricity demand, with a modest amount of spare capacity exported to the grid," it adds.

"Power will be sent from the power system to the Estate’s three principal power consumers - the sawmill, visitor centre and house - using existing infrastructure which, as part of the project, will be upgraded and adapted as required."

READ MORE: Outfits made from King's garden waste go on show at Sandingham

READ MORE: Next concert dates announced for Sandringham

The site is currently a grass paddock, used for grazing horses at the nearby Royal Stud, which is "well-screened" by the surrounding landscape.

Sandringham House would be solar-powered under the plans (Image: Ian Burt)

Some 2,000 panels would be sited at Sandringham (Image: Newsquest)

The statement says the impact of the proposal would be "slight or moderate", adding: "Considered as part of the wider estate-managed landscape, a modest solar array such as that proposed should be viewed as no more incongruous than the existing, intensively grazed paddock, and a necessary part of managing a sustainable, living, working landscape."

King Charles has been moving Sandringham towards more environmentally friendly management since taking over the running of the 21,000-acre estate from his father, the late Prince Philip, in 2017.

The King has been turning Sandringham over to organic farming and other environmentally-friendly measures since taking over the running of the estate in 2017 (Image: PA)

He has turned its farms organic, planted trees and hedgerows and overseen a programme of "ecological delivery" which includes installing bird boxes and wide field margins to encourage insects.

The monarch has been a regular visitor to Sandringham since revealing he was undergoing treatment for cancer in February.

A decision on the solar farm is expected later this year.