MEDIA RELEASE: FEB 2025 – The team developing plans for Great North Road Solar and Biodiversity Park has recently completed their second phase of consultation on the proposals.
A six-week consultation period ran between 9 January and 20 February, during which time the developer behind the proposals – Elements Green – received over 300 pieces of feedback and met with over 500 local residents and interested people who attended the nine information events.
Great North Road Solar and Biodiversity Park is a proposed solar farm to the northwest of Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire. It would supply up to 800 MW of clean electricity – the equivalent power used by around 400,000 homes and business.
The proposals also include batteries to store electricity for when it is needed, alongside extensive environmental measures. These involve planting 50,000 trees, 46 km of hedgerows, and approximately 800 acres of enhanced wildlife areas. Complemented by 19 permissive routes to connect a currently disjointed network of Public Rights of Way and a community fund of around £40 million across the lifecycle of the project to support local initiatives, the developer is clear that the opportunities of the project go well beyond the significant amount of clean home-grown power it could produce.
Mark Noone, UK Project Director at Elements Green, said: “It has been so valuable for our team to spend the last six weeks speaking with local people across the project area and receiving feedback on our proposals. It really brings Great North Road Solar and Biodiversity Park to life and is already helping us to further refine our plans.
“The design has come on significantly since our first phase of consultation last year. It was great to share our latest proposals and hear people’s feedback on the changes we’ve made so far and the substantial level of detail that we have now shared.
“We’ve had some very constructive conversations and received useful feedback to help us understand where there is support for our proposals and where further changes or details are being asked for. Our team is considering every comment to inform further improvements as we now prepare for our planning submission.
“On behalf of the team I’d like to thank everyone who has taken part in our consultation. Your feedback is instrumental as we move forward with our proposals for Great North Road Solar and Biodiversity Park.”
This phase of consultation followed on from several project partnerships announced in 2024. In November, Biodiversity Park was added to the project name when partnerships were announced with the RSPB, Sherwood Forest Trust, Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust, and The Trent Rivers Trust, to ensure that nature benefits from the project. In December, Elements Green also announced a multi-million-pound partnership with Pro Renewables to use British steel and create more valuable jobs. Collaboration with local farmers will allow for sheep grazing across the project area, saving millions in grass mowing costs and ensuring continued agricultural use of the land.
The expected next step for the project is the submission of a Development Consent Order application to the Planning Inspectorate. The consideration of this planning application will include a formal examination period during which anyone interested will once again be able to review the proposals and submit their views.
