Focus · LA Today Wire
More than 2,750 people have responded to a consultation about plans to build what would be Europe's biggest solar farm in South Yorkshire. The responses have been sent to the government's Planning Inspectorate as part of a complex process examining the proposals, which span areas of Doncaster and Rotherham. The comments are not broken down into for or against, but a number of parish councils, community groups, MPs and Rotherham and Doncaster councils have objected.
The solar farm and battery storage was originally projected to cover 3,500 acres (5.5sq miles) but applicants Whitestone Net Zero said it had made "significant changes to the project design" following two rounds of consultation. If constructed as proposed, the 750MW solar farm would extend from Conisbrough through Ravenfield, Bramley, Wickersley, Hellaby, Thurcroft, Brampton-en-le-Morthen, Anston, Aston, Whiston and towards Brinsworth. The government wants at least 95% of Great Britain's electricity to come from "clean" sources, including renewables – such as solar and wind – and nuclear energy by 2030.
Last year, solar energy provided more than 6% of Great Britain's electricity – rising to more than 40% for a small number of half-hour periods in July. The government is targeting 45-47 gigawatts (GW) of solar power capacity by 2030, to help meet its clean power goal, potentially rising to 54-57GW with extra rooftop solar. That would be up from 21GW as of autumn 2025, according to government figures, although the solar industry puts current capacity at 24GW.
Whitestone Warriors, which represents residents and businesses, said it had "significant concerns" about the scale, location and cumulative impact of the development. It said: "Our primary concern is that the project should be examined as a single integrated development, battery energy storage facilities, substations, cable routes and associated infrastructure. The cumulative impact must be assessed as a whole rather than in isolation." "Residents are concerned that extensive solar infrastructure would fundamentally alter the character of these areas and lead to the industrialisation of significant areas of countryside and agricultural land," it added.
South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard has also objected, saying he is "well aware of the strength of feeling in communities". "If successful, this scheme will be one of the largest solar farms in the UK and its impact will be felt by significant swathes of South Yorkshire for a significant period of time. "The proposed £18m community fund over 60 years seems wholly inadequate mitigation for the negative impacts, offering little incentive or financial benefit for local communities set to lose significant local amenities and access to nature." Whitestone said new energy projects can only connect to the National Grid at locations where there is available capacity, such as Brinsworth.
Once it had secured the grid connection agreement, it looked for land nearby that would be suitable for solar. It said: "We presented our initial proposals in autumn 2024 during the first consultation. This original masterplan presented all of the land that we were considering to include in the project.
"In response to feedback from that consultation, we reduced these areas by a quarter to create offsets around homes, villages and public rights of way. "After the second consultation in autumn 2025, we responded to feedback and further reduced these areas around homes, villages, and environmentally sensitive locations." The application needs to go through a lengthy planning process as it is classed as a national infrastructure project. Planning inspectors can take up to six months to examine the responses before sending their recommendation to the secretary of state for a final decision.
Source: BBC
