News: Whitestone solar plans accepted by Government
Plans to build one of the largest solar farms in the country have moved a step forward - it would cover 1,169 hectares of agricultural land in Rotherham and Doncaster.
Rotherham Council and the three local MPs have all raised issues with the application.
Rothbiz reported last year on early stage plans being updated for Whitestone Solar Farm - a generating station with an estimated capacity of up to 750MW connecting to the National Grid Brinsworth Substation in Rotherham.
Initial consultation documents from solar developer Green Nation showed that vast areas of agricultural land in Rotherham and Doncaster, some safeguarded for the now-cancelled HS2 route, could make up the solar farm.
The northen site straddles the Rotherham and Doncaster border east of Hooton Roberts and north of Ravenfield.
Farmland adjacent to the M18 south of Bramley and Wickersley has also been identified to host thousands of solar panels, as has vast areas of fields either side of the M1 south of its junction with the M18. This includes sites near Ulley, Aston and Brampton, out towards North and South Anston, and the other way to land between Treeton and Whiston.
In the south of the borough, sites could be included in the solar farm development that are close to Kiveton Park, Harthill and Woodall.
Whitestone is classified as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP), which means that it is applying for a Development Consent Order (DCO) to authorise its construction, operation and decommissioning. The final decision on a DCO application will be made at the national level by the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero.
Having assessed application documents, the Government's Planning Inspectorate has now accepted an application for an order granting development consent.
A three month pre-examination stage will now begin looking at the issues which will need to be discussed at the examination stage which is where the applicant, anyone who is registered to have their say, official bodies and people whose land is directly affected can comment on the proposed development or answer any of the questions at each deadline.
Rotherham Council has already made a representation stating that: "it has been made aware of an apparent failure to serve the requisite notice on the occupiers of Springvale Farm, Springvale House, Morthen House, and New Sycamore Farm. In the absence of evidence demonstrating that such service has been lawfully affected, the Council’s position is that the statutory consultation requirements may not have been fully satisfied."
Local councillors, parish councils and local residents have raised insues over the quality and effectiveness of the consultation.
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John Healey, MP for Rawmarsh and Conisborough says that the consultation has been "fundamentally flawed" adding that each of the three sites are seperate.
The MP said: "Residents do not experience the same local impacts across these three areas, and no reasonable observer would describe them as one contiguous or coherent site.
"Instead of respecting the different communities and recognising each of the three schemes should be subject to a separate consultation, Whitestone has lumped the schemes together in a single consultation. No doubt this is for convenience and to cut costs, but aggregating the three schemes deprives communities of a proper consultation and fails to fully discharge Whitestone's obligation under the act."
Jake Richards, MP for Rother Valley, said: "Each of the three schemes exceeds the threshold for a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) and therefore requires a robust, standalone consultation. Whitestone's decision to amalgamate them appears to prioritise administrative convenience and cost-saving over compliance with the Act [The Planning Act 2008] and over meaningful engagement with residents."
The MPs are asking the Government's chief planner to assess the the adequacy and validity of the Whitestone consultation.
Sarah Champion, MP for Rotherham, said: "Should this be found to be inadequate, I would urge you to ensure that proper, detailed consultation, which recognises the unique impacts across the three separate schemes, is undertaken prior to any planning application moving forward."
Applicants are hoping for a decision on the plans in Autumn 2027.
Whitestone website
Images: Pexels / Adrinil Dennis
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Rotherham Council and the three local MPs have all raised issues with the application.
Rothbiz reported last year on early stage plans being updated for Whitestone Solar Farm - a generating station with an estimated capacity of up to 750MW connecting to the National Grid Brinsworth Substation in Rotherham.
Initial consultation documents from solar developer Green Nation showed that vast areas of agricultural land in Rotherham and Doncaster, some safeguarded for the now-cancelled HS2 route, could make up the solar farm.
The northen site straddles the Rotherham and Doncaster border east of Hooton Roberts and north of Ravenfield.
Farmland adjacent to the M18 south of Bramley and Wickersley has also been identified to host thousands of solar panels, as has vast areas of fields either side of the M1 south of its junction with the M18. This includes sites near Ulley, Aston and Brampton, out towards North and South Anston, and the other way to land between Treeton and Whiston.
In the south of the borough, sites could be included in the solar farm development that are close to Kiveton Park, Harthill and Woodall.
Whitestone is classified as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP), which means that it is applying for a Development Consent Order (DCO) to authorise its construction, operation and decommissioning. The final decision on a DCO application will be made at the national level by the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero.
Having assessed application documents, the Government's Planning Inspectorate has now accepted an application for an order granting development consent.
A three month pre-examination stage will now begin looking at the issues which will need to be discussed at the examination stage which is where the applicant, anyone who is registered to have their say, official bodies and people whose land is directly affected can comment on the proposed development or answer any of the questions at each deadline.
Rotherham Council has already made a representation stating that: "it has been made aware of an apparent failure to serve the requisite notice on the occupiers of Springvale Farm, Springvale House, Morthen House, and New Sycamore Farm. In the absence of evidence demonstrating that such service has been lawfully affected, the Council’s position is that the statutory consultation requirements may not have been fully satisfied."
Local councillors, parish councils and local residents have raised insues over the quality and effectiveness of the consultation.
Advertisement
John Healey, MP for Rawmarsh and Conisborough says that the consultation has been "fundamentally flawed" adding that each of the three sites are seperate.
The MP said: "Residents do not experience the same local impacts across these three areas, and no reasonable observer would describe them as one contiguous or coherent site.
"Instead of respecting the different communities and recognising each of the three schemes should be subject to a separate consultation, Whitestone has lumped the schemes together in a single consultation. No doubt this is for convenience and to cut costs, but aggregating the three schemes deprives communities of a proper consultation and fails to fully discharge Whitestone's obligation under the act."
Jake Richards, MP for Rother Valley, said: "Each of the three schemes exceeds the threshold for a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) and therefore requires a robust, standalone consultation. Whitestone's decision to amalgamate them appears to prioritise administrative convenience and cost-saving over compliance with the Act [The Planning Act 2008] and over meaningful engagement with residents."
The MPs are asking the Government's chief planner to assess the the adequacy and validity of the Whitestone consultation.
Sarah Champion, MP for Rotherham, said: "Should this be found to be inadequate, I would urge you to ensure that proper, detailed consultation, which recognises the unique impacts across the three separate schemes, is undertaken prior to any planning application moving forward."
Applicants are hoping for a decision on the plans in Autumn 2027.
Whitestone website
Images: Pexels / Adrinil Dennis
