PUBLIC CONSULTATION LAUNCH FOR THE PROPOSED GREAT NORTH ROAD 1GW SOLAR AND ENERGY STORAGE PARK
Elements Green, a leading renewables developer based in the UK, has today launched a first stage of community consultation on plans for Great North Road Solar Park – a new solar and energy storage park located to the northwest of Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire. With a potential generation capacity of around 800 megawatts (MW) AC of solar energy, the scheme has the potential to meet the power needs of circa 400,000 homes, equivalent to 100 per cent of the homes in Nottinghamshire.
Subject to being consented and becoming operational, GNR Solar Park would make a significant contribution towards decarbonising the UK by generating clean, affordable, home-grown electricity that would annually avoid 250,000 tonnes of carbon emissions from entering our atmosphere. It would also support UK energy security and contribute to tackling the cost-of-living crisis through the reduction of household energy bills.
Today, Tuesday 16 January 2024, Elements Green has launched the first stage of community consultation for GNR Solar Park. The developer welcomes feedback from the communities across the site areas and is committed to undertaking a transparent and rigorous consultation process, which involves engaging with local planning authorities, interest groups and statutory consultees. This first stage of consultation will run until Tuesday 27 February 2024.
Elements Green will be holding a series of in-person and online exhibition events, providing opportunities for the community and key stakeholders alike to find out more information about the proposals and provide their feedback. Elements Green will be holding a total of eight events during the first stage of consultation, this includes six in-person events and two online webinars, between Monday 29th January and Saturday 10th February. These event dates are as follows:
· Monday 29 January - 5:30pm – 7pm - Community webinar
· Tuesday 30 January - 12pm – 6pm - Eakring Cator Hall, Kirklington Road, Eakring, NG22 0DA
· Wednesday 31 January - 2pm – 6pm - Laxton Village Hall, High St, Laxton, Newark, NG22 0NX
· Thursday 01 February - 12pm – 6pm - Newark Town Hall, Newark, Nottinghamshire, NG24 1DU
· Monday 05 February - 5:30pm – 7pm - Community webinar
· Thursday 08 February - 2pm – 6pm - Carlton on Trent Village Hall, Main Street, Carlton-on-Trent, Newark, NG23 6NW
· Friday 09 February - 2pm – 8pm - Maplebeck Village Hall, Main Street, Kelham, Newark, NG23 5QP
· Saturday 10 February - 12pm – 5pm - Kelham House, Main Street, Kelham, Newark, NG23 5QP
Mark Noone, Project Director for Great North Road Solar Park said: “Our plans for GNR Solar Park will align with those set by the British Energy Security Strategy, which aims to increase the UK’s solar capacity fivefold by 2035. With an installed capacity of over one gigawatt (GW) DC, GNR Solar Park would contribute 1.5 per cent towards this target.”
“We want to talk to communities to understand their views and listen to their ideas. Feedback received during Stage One consultation will help us to develop our proposals more thoroughly, and we want to hear from as many members of the community as possible. Our project website and contact channels continue to be live and we look forward to meeting the community at our consultation events. We encourage anyone with an interest in our proposals to provide their feedback and take part in our consultation.”
“We believe that local communities have an important role to play in helping to inform and influence how our proposals for GNR Solar Park evolve,” explains Mark. “We want to deliver this project responsibly and are committed to consulting as widely and efficiently as possible, working together with residents, businesses and community organisations to improve and enhance our proposals as our plans for the project progress.”
Due to its proposed generation capacity being over 50MW, GNR Solar Park is classified as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP). This means that Elements Green will make an application to the Secretary of State for the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) for a Development Consent Order (DCO), which we anticipate will be submitted in Spring 2025.
More information about the proposals and details of the consultation events can be found on the project website: www.gnrsolarpark.co.uk.
The project communications team can be contacted directly using the details below:
Email: info@gnrsolarpark.co.uk
Freephone information line: 0801 754054 (open 09:00-17:00 Monday to Friday)
Freepost: FREEPOST GNR SOLAR
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