News: Whitestone - the £600m planned investment in Rotherham that would create just 39 long term jobs

Planning documents for one of the largest solar farms in the country have been published - all 159 of them.

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.

Whitestone has been given a cost estimate of between £500m and £600m. It is being promoted by Green Nation but operates under Net Zero One Ltd.

Initial consultation documents from 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 northern 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 that are included in the proposed solar farm development 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.

A three month pre-examination stage has now begun looking at the issues which will need to be discussed at the examination stage. This next stage 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.

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Documents include numerous environmental statements on things like Landscape and Visual Impact (LVIA), contaminated land and transport, plus outline strategies for landscape and ecology management, surface water drainage and Public Right of Way (PROW) management.

However, much of the details are not yet known. Developers want to "maintain flexibility in the design" and instead specify parameter ranges, including details of the maximum, and minimum, size (footprint, width, and height, technology,) and locations of the different elements of the proposed development.

Plans also show that the developers are enacting a compulsory acquisition of land.

Applicants also say that they are proposing a large scheme due to its bulk generation potential and connection to the national grid that means that benefits are felt more widely. It discounts brownfield and rooftop sites due to thier unsuitability and related "ownership, occupation, and upkeep" issues.

On employment, planning documents say that: "During construction, it is anticipated that there would be 1,616 FTE jobs created as a result of direct, indirect and induced employment opportunities and that 538 of these would be from the local Study Area. Once operational, impacts on local labour market arising from operational and maintenance jobs would be more limited but still present, with 39 FTE direct, indirect and induced jobs created."

Promoters of the scheme, which they want to operate for 60 years, say that the proposed development is located on "grey belt land because the site does not strongly contribute to Green Belt purposes" but go on to say that "even if this position is not accepted, there are Very Special Circumstances that clearly outweigh any harm identified in terms of the five Green Belt purposes."

The applicants conclude: "The significant need for low carbon electricity generation infrastructure to meet the government’s decarbonisation objectives, and wider environmental benefits of the proposal, including the significant increase in BNG and creation of new permissive paths locally, would outweigh any harm identified to the Green Belt."

Rotherham Council does not agree that the site is "grey belt" stating that "this part of the Borough performs an important strategic and local function as open countryside in a relatively densely populated area, helping to maintain separation between settlements, prevent encroachment into the countryside and preserve a sense of openness."

Rotherham Council and the local MPs have raised issues with the scheme's consultation.

Rothbiz has detailed the issues raised by Rotherham Council with the Whitestone proposals.

Whitestone website

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News: Rotherham Council raises issues with Whitestone solar proposals

Rotherham Council's issues with a massive solar farm proposed in the borough have been published.

Plans have moved to the next stage for Whitestone Solar Farm - a generating station with an estimated capacity of up to 750MW connecting to the National Grid Brinsworth Substation in Rotherham.

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.

Local councils are statutory consultees for NSIPs and a report on Rotherham Council's issues with the proposals has been published with the application documents.

At the earlier stage, the council has commented on 18 separate issues. Proponents of the scheme, Green Nation, address how the latest submission relates to the earlier issues raised.

On the use of Green Belt land, Rotherham Council set out that the solar farm conflicts with the Rotherham Local Plan and national policies, in that "the development would introduce substantial built form and industrialising features into land intended to remain open and to safeguard the setting and separation of settlements."

In response, promoters of the scheme say that the proposed development is located on "grey belt land because the site does not strongly contribute to Green Belt purposes" and go on to say that "even if this position is not accepted, there are Very Special Circumstances that clearly outweigh any harm identified in terms of the five Green Belt purposes."

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Rotherham Council has also raised issue with the loss of Best and Most Versatile (BMV) agricultural land which it says is "valuable not only because of its productive capacity for food and other crops, but also because it forms part of a finite soil resource and supports the long-term resilience of rural land use within the Borough."

Applicants argue that the scheme is set to operate for 60 years so any loss is temporary.

On the issue of lifespan, Rotherham Council has raised the issue of the 60 year timescale given that national policy is 40 years. The council said: "Even if the development is technically reversible at the end of its life, the Council considers that reversibility after 60 years substantially reduces the practical weight that can be attached to "temporary" effects in the planning balance.

The council adds that the operation is likely to span more than one generation and that a more nuanced approach would be needed, It said that the "applicant has not yet demonstrated why a 60-year operational life is justified."

Applicants say that in "recent decisions the Secretary of State has confirmed that the 60- year consent lifespan is ""temporary and reversible for the majority of the land.""

Concern has also been raised relating to the "scale, concentration and persistence of significant landscape and visual effects", particularly the impact on settlements such as North Anston, Wickersley, Ulley and Harthill, and various public rights of way and recreational routes. Issues have also been raised with the submitted Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA).

Rotherham Council is also concerned about the harm to the setting of heritage assets and have asked for a robust assessment of setting impacts, including cumulative effects.

The authority is also unhappy with the inclusion of the Local Wildlife Site at Brampton Common within the limits of the scheme. Though applicants say that it is "not being managed to achieve the objectives for which it was designated," a strategy for enhancements has been drafted.

On Biodiversity Net Gain, a way of creating and improving natural habitats, Rotherham Council said that "expressing an intention to achieve a 10% minimum gain does not go far enough." BNG is not currently a legal requirement for NSIPs but applicants say that updated plans show that BNG metrics have calculated that area habitat units would see a 42.52% gain, hedgerow units, a 44.47% gain, and watercourse units, a 10.11% gain.

Rotherham Council has also raised concerns regarding the suitability and capacity of the proposed substation and Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) location, along with issues regarding highways, drainage, glint and glare effects arising from solar panels, noise, and how the proposed cable corridor would interact with areas of landfill and potentially contaminated land.

Rotherham Council will now need to digest the 159 planning documents published with the application.

A three month pre-examination stage has now begun looking at the issues which will need to be discussed at the examination stage. This next stage 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.

At the examination stage Rotherham Council will submit a Local Impact Report (LIR) which the Inspector must consider.

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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

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News: Plans in for another Rotherham solar farm

A planning application has been submitted for another solar farm in Rotherham - this time for 21 hectares of greenbelt land in the North of the borough.

Rothbiz reported last year on early stage plans from ILOS for a 25 MVA solar farm west of Firsby Lane between Hooton Roberts and Conisbrough.

ILOS unlock value for landowners, communities and investors by bridging the gap between inventive PV solutions and innovative financing models. BNP Paribas Asset Management Alts holds a 60% majority stake and acts as ILOS’s strategic partner and majority shareholder.

Applicants say that the average annual output of the proposed solar farm would be sufficient to power approximately 6,000 homes and reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 4,830 tonnes per annum.

They add that they consider that "the site constitutes “Grey Belt” which does not fundamentally undermine Green Belt purposes" and continue: "even if the site is not considered “Grey Belt” the proposal makes an important to the generation of renewable energy and, as such, very special circumstances would apply which support the proposed development in this location."

Rotherham Counail has previously said that large parts of this site "are designated as best and most versatile agricultural land" and asked the applicants to submit in-depth consideration / justification on the visual impact and the impact on the surrounding landscape and trees as well as the impact on ecology and heritage assets. Particular concerns were raised about the potential cumulative visual impact of the solar farm along with the proposed Whitestone solar farm nearby.

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With a low-lying solar panel array, the applicants say that: "Overall, the effect on the visual amenity and visual character of the study area as a whole will be limited, and the proposals will therefore have only a minor effect on established visual components. The landscaping proposals will remain as a legacy, benefiting local landscape structure and biodiversity, when the scheme is decommissioned on completion of its operational phase."

If approved, the development would export renewable energy to the grid for a maximum of 40 years and some enhancement and mitigation measures are proposed.

Despite the issue being raised by the council, and during public consultation, applicants have not assessed any cumulative impacts, despite the proximity to the Whitestone proposals. They state that there are "no comparable solar PV schemes in the study area nor are there submitted planning applications / unimplemented consented schemes."

Whitestone Solar Farm is a proposed generating station with an estimated capacity of up to 750MW across various sites in Rotherham. It 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.

A DCO submission is currently being assessed.

ILOS website

Images: ILOS

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News: South Yorkshire Mayor: "Whitestone is the wrong scheme"

Oliver Coppard, the mayor of South Yorkshire says that he is convinced that plans for a massive solar farm that could take up acres of green belt land in Rotherham "is the wrong scheme."

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.

Following a second round of consultation, the plans have been updated again.

Proponents of the scheme say that the size of the scheme has been reduced significantly.

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An update reads: "We received more than 10,000 pieces of written feedback. We have now reviewed all of the feedback we received. Where the feedback applied to the masterplan, we have made a number of changes to address concerns.

"In response to feedback from two rounds of consultation and ongoing stakeholder engagement, the size of Whitestone has been reduced significantly. The final size is now 1,169 hectares (2,888 acres), which includes 691 hectares (1,707 acres) for solar and associated infrastructure and 637 hectares (1,181 acres) for environmental mitigation and enhancement. Compared to the initial masterplan, this is a reduction of 37% of the developable area and a reduction of 17% of the total size of the project."

Following a public meeting on the plans, Oliver Coppard said: "I went into the room with significant doubts about the scale of the development, and the huge cost it will impose on the local community. I left the meeting convinced that it is the wrong scheme, with huge flaws in the public consultation, the design and the delivery, and it should not be imposed here, in the heart of South Yorkshire.

"I’ll be taking away all the comments and questions that were raised tonight, and following up with all those who attended and are interested in what we might be able to do to mount an objection to the Whitestone Solar Farm.

"It’s not in my gift to stop the scheme, and I can’t promise that will be the eventual outcome, but I can promise to explore all of our options and to work with partners and our communities to raise our voices together, and to do what we can to make those voices heard."

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.

A DCO submission is expected in Spring 2026.

Whitestone Solar Farm website

Images: Whitestone Net Zero Limited

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News: Second consultation for Whitestone solar plans

Developers behind the Whitestone Solar Farm are about to begin a second round of consultation after plans were updated.

Rothbiz reported in April on early stage plans being updated for a solar farm generating station with an estimated capacity of up to 750MW and connecting to the National Grid Brinsworth Substation in Rotherham.

Developers say that they have made "significant changes to the project design" to respond to the feedback received.

Updated documents explain that one fourth of the land (279 hectares / 689 acres) has been removed across the whole site that was included for solar development to create buffers around homes, villages and public rights of way near the project boundary. This has resulted in the removal or reduction of panels around the most sensitive community areas, particularly around residential dwellings.

Due to its size, Whitestone is classified as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP), which means that it needs 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, rather than made locally by Rotherham and Doncaster Councils.

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A 450-page scoping report has been examined by the planning inspectorate which provided environmental information outlining the scope and methodology of the technical studies being conducted. It precedes a full Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).

The report confirms that the proposed development is being brought forward by Whitestone Net Zero Limited, owned by Net Zero One Limited but it is intended to be constructed, managed and operated by Green Nation.

A leaflet from the developers states: "The first round of consultation ran for 11 weeks, and included public events, meetings with parish councils and other stakeholders, and individual discussions with local residents. We received 940 pieces of written feedback, which we have reviewed and considered, to inform the updated design shown at this round of consultation.

"We are now holding our second consultation on the updated masterplan and draft Environmental Statement, which will help inform the proposals we submit in our DCO application next spring."

The northern 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.

The consultation will be carried out from September 16 to October 28 2025. A number of public information events have been scheduled for October.

Whitestone website

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News: Safeguarding lifted on HS2 route through Rotherham

Land in Rotherham outlined for high speed rail is no longer under safeguarding directions, the Secretary of State for Transport has confirmed.

Former owners who sold to the government will be given the opportunity to buy property back, but at the current value.

The announcement comes four and a half years after the scheme to Leeds was scrapped and nine years after property owners first learnt of the plans.

The government announced in 2021 that the HS2 Phase 2b Eastern leg would terminate at East Midlands Parkway and no longer reach Leeds through the communities in the east of Rotherham. A study into how best to take HS2 services to Leeds was announced but never really got underway.

Safeguarding for Phase 2b (Crewe to Manchester and West Midlands to Leeds) was set to be ammended in summer 2024 to allow for any safeguarding needed for Northern Powerhouse Rail.

Safeguarding is designed to protect land which the government may need to build and operate HS2 from conflicting development that might otherwise take place. Issuing safeguarding directions also triggers statutory blight - starting the process of the government acquiring property in the safeguarded areas.

A latest report to Parliament confirmed that the safeguarding directions for the former HS2 route through Rotherham have finally been lifted.

Heidi Alexander MP, Secretary of State for Transport, said: "I am today formally lifting the safeguarding directions for the former Phase 2b Eastern Leg (between the West Midlands and Leeds), removing the uncertainty that has affected many people along the former route. Safeguarding along the former Phase 2b Western Leg (between Crewe and Manchester) is not being changed as part of this, and an update on future plans for safeguarding on this section will be provided in due course alongside broader plans for Northern Powerhouse Rail.

"One small area to the south of the existing station in central Leeds, previously required for the new HS2 station, will remain safeguarded to allow for potential enhancements to the existing station, including for onward travel.

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"I have also today closed the Rural Support Zone, Express Purchase, Rent Back, and the Need to Sell property schemes along the former Phase 2b Eastern Leg. Existing applications will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

"Removing safeguarding along the majority of the former HS2 Phase 2b Eastern Leg means we are now able to initiate a programme to dispose of over 550 properties on the former Eastern Leg that are no longer required. We expect disposals on the open market to begin in 2026. Before then, former owners whose property was acquired under statutory blight will have the opportunity to reacquire their former property at the current market value.

"We will dispose of land and property in a sensible and sensitive way, ensuring value for money for the taxpayer and avoiding disruption to local property markets."

The scrapped route through Rotherham was announced in 2016 and affected areas such as Wales, Aston, Ulley, Brampton-en-le–Morthen, Thurcroft, Bramley, Ravenfield and Hooton Roberts.

With no station at Meadowhall and just a spur into Sheffield, residents and local politicians believed that the change in route offered "all of the problems but none of the benefits" and had to deal with blight notices and programmes to sell property to the government before compulsory purchase.

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News: Plans updated for massive solar farm in Rotherham

Following consultation, early stage plans have been updated for a massive solar farm that could take up acres of green belt land in Rotherham.

Rothbiz reported at the end of 2024 on plans for Whitestone Solar Farm, which if constructed, would generate up to 750MW of energy, enough to power up to 250,000 homes.

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.

Having recently completed a first consultation stage, developers say that they have made "significant changes to the project design" to respond to the feedback received.

Updated documents explain that one fourth of the land (279 hectares / 689 acres) has been removed across the whole site that was included for solar development to create buffers around homes, villages and public rights of way near the project boundary. This has resulted in the removal or reduction of panels around the most sensitive community areas, particularly around residential dwellings.

Developers say that: "These areas would not have any solar panels or other above-ground infrastructure. Some will now be set aside for environmental enhancement and mitigation, and would be planted with a mix of native grasses and wildflowers to support wildlife and increase biodiversity."

The area for solar development and associated infrastructure would now only account for around half of the total updated site area.

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Whitestone is classified as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP), which means that it would go 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.

A scoping seport is being submitted to the Planning Inspectorate. This enables the project to be designed to avoid or minimise negative environmental impacts and provides an opportunity to incorporate positive environmental enhancements into the project. A formal application is not expected until the summer of 2026.

Green Nation is planning a second consultation this autumn based on the updated proposals and the preliminary results of the environmental assessments.

The developers said: "During this consultation, which will be considered ‘statutory’, we will consult with the community, elected officials, and technical experts to fact check our initial results and help inform the final assessments that we will submit in our DCO application. When we get closer to the autumn, we will notify the community of the details of the consultation and how you can take part."

Jake Richards, MP for Rother Valley, who has already raised concerns about the proposals, said of the update: "I am pleased that this has resulted in some significant changes and a 25% reduction in the scale of the plan. It is welcome that particular areas which local residents sought to be protected have been.

"But nonetheless, the revised plan is not good enough. Whilst I support the government’s plans for more renewable energy to cut bills and end our reliance on foreign supplies, my priority is always my constituents. Residents in the affected areas - Harthill, Woodall, Aston, Brampton-en-le-Morthen and Ulley – are rightly worried about this and I will stand with them.

"I will continue to work with the developer, urging them to make further changes."

Whitestone Solar Farm website

Images: Google Maps

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News: Plans for more Rotherham solar farms

At the same time as plans are being developed for a huge solar farm across many greenbelt sites in Rotherham, a number of smaller proposals are progressing too.

Rothbiz reported last year on Whitestone Solar Farm, which if constructed, would generate up to 750MW of energy, enough to power up to 250,000 homes. It would be the largest solar farm in Yorkshire and one of the largest in the UK.

Consultation documents from solar developer Green Nation show that vast areas of agricultural land in Rotherham and Doncaster, some safeguarded for the now-cancelled HS2 route, could make up the solar farm. Sites in the Rother Valley constituency include fields near to Bramley and Wickersley, near Ulley, Aston and Brampton, out towards North and South Anston, and close to Kiveton Park, Harthill and Woodall.

Due to its size, Whitestone will be classed as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) and would not be determined by Rotherham Council.

In recent months early stage proposals have been published for solar farms that would be determined by Rotherham Council.

Thurcroft Interchange Energy Park is being put forward by Exagen Group and involves a 49.9MW solar farm with a co-located 50MW battery energy storage system (BESS) and substation on farmland between Wickersley and Morthen. The yearly output of the solar generation is predicted to equate to the electricity use of approximately 20,370 average UK homes per year.

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The project is in early stages of public consultation and proponents say that it "will be sensitively designed within the land available, with input from local residents, planning experts and all relevant consultees."

Documents add: "The proposed Thurcroft Interchange Energy Park Project is made up of three adjacent parcels of land, with the majority of infrastructure to be installed in the south-eastern block adjacent to the M1 and M18. The proposed site will be effectively screened from the settlements of Wickersley, Whiston, and Thurcroft through enhancement to existing vegetation and the implementation of supplementary hedgerow and tree planting."

Across the borough, another solar develpoer, ILOS, is putting together plans for a 25 MVA solar farm west of Firsby Lane between Hooton Roberts and Conisbrough which comprises 21 hectares of greenbelt land.

Providing enough green energy for over 10,000 households, cultation documents explain: "The site will remain in agricultural use for the 30-40 year tenure of the lease and be crafted to rest the land from intensive farming, attracting considerable additional wildlife. No concrete is used in the module framework and the incumbent electricity provider, Northern PowerGrid, will manage the grid connection point."

Initial consultation for Whitestone has closed. Community drop in sessions are being held next week regarding Thurcroft Interchange Energy Park and consultation for Firsby Lane will close on March 27.

Exagen website
ILOS Energy website

Images: Exagen Group

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News: Acres of Rotherham green belt eyed up for massive solar farm

Thousands of acres of green belt land in Rotherham has been identified in early stage proposals for the largest solar farm in Yorkshire - and one of the largest in the UK.

Solar developer Green Nation has begun consultation on plans to develop a solar and energy storage scheme that would be classed as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP).

If constructed, Whitestone Solar Farm would generate up to 750MW of energy, which is enough to power up to 250,000 homes.

Whitestone would dwarf the Common Farm Solar project in Rotherham that secured planning permission in 2023 that would have an installed capacity of up to 50MW (and cover 285 acres with solar panels).

Consultation documents show that vast areas of agricultural land in Rotherham and Doncaster, some safeguarded for the now-cancelled HS2 route, could make up Whitestone Solar Farm.

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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.

The developers say that the sites were chosen as there was available capacity at the Brinsworth substation in Rotherham - a remnant of the area's historic role in steel production.

Green Nation says that it has been able to secure an agreement for a new energy project to connect at this location.

A Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) and cable infrastructure would aslo be required.

With a capacity over 50MW, the plans for the development would not be determined by Rotherham Council, instead a Development Consent Order (DCO) application would be decided at the national level by the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero.

Classed as temporary (60 years), the proposed solar farms would be designed with open spaces around and between the panels with wildflowers and native grasses planted beneath. Measures are included to reduce the visual impact from homes and public rights of way.

Consultation documents state: "Whitestone could make a significant contribution to our national energy goals – helping in the fight against climate change while also contributing to energy security and helping reduce energy costs by producing clean, renewable energy here in the UK.

"We are at a very early stage in the development of Whitestone. Our goal is to develop the project in a way that is sensitive to the local environment and community. Over the next few months, we will consult with local residents and technical experts to ensure that valuable local knowledge is built into our proposals."

Consultation runs until to January 17 2025 with a number of in person events scheduled, starting in Rotherham at Aston cum Aughton Leisure Centre on November 30.

Developers plan to submit its application in spring 2026 with construction to follow in 2027 and connection in 2029.

Whitestone Solar Farm website

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News: Rotherham pub reopens after £250,000 makeover

The historic Earl of Strafford in Rotherham has reopened after a £250,000 makeover serving the best in classic country pub food and drinks, just as it has done for hundreds of years.

At Hooton Roberts, the 16th century, Grade II listed manor house which was built as a home for the first Earl of Strafford, Sir Thomas Wentworth, now offers a quality home-from-home experience with tasty fresh menus for all the family to enjoy. As well as new furniture and fittings inside and out, the bar menu has been extended.

The Earl of Stafford is part of the Stonegate Pub Company - the UK's largest pub company that operates around 4,800 managed, leased and tenanted pubs. It sits within the company's "Classic Inns" brand.

General Manager at the Earl of Strafford, James Mault is thrilled with the new-look pub. He said: “This is such a special pub, with so much history and charm, and now it is even better! We have carefully balanced all the original features and character of this lovely building with a touch of comfort. Everything here is about quality – great fresh food and drinks with the best service. That goes for everyone including our four-legged friends who will like our very own Dog Bar!

“Attention to detail has been key in the short month-long closure, so every aspect of the food, drink, service, kitchen, bar and dining (inside and out) are now fantastic. This is a special pub in a wonderful location and it’s ready to serve Hooton Roberts and further afield for many more years to come. It’s an exciting next chapter for this amazing historic building.”

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After years running pubs, James settled in Rotherham 13 years ago. He said: “I have always enjoyed running local community pubs, they are rewarding and I really like the family feel they have. The Earl of Strafford has a great atmosphere and is warm and welcoming. When I am not here you will probably see me with my children and walking my dog, Wesley. We look forward to welcoming everyone to this brilliant family-friendly pub (furry, four-legged friends, as well!).”

Local MP, John Healey, recenlt paid a visit. The Wentworth and Dearne MP, said: “The Earl of Strafford is a pub I have known for decades and it was a real pleasure to see its transformation first hand. The team at Stonegate really has paid attention to detail with the renovation and the pub has a very welcoming atmosphere. It’s the best I’ve seen it looking for some time and I’m glad to see that it is being managed well.

“It was a pleasure to meet the team behind The Earl of Stafford, they were very enthusiastic about the future of the pub and its place in the community. I look forward to calling into the Earl of Strafford for a meal in the future.”

Earl of Strafford website

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News: Study confirms no South Yorkshire parkway station on HS2 line

A parkway station could be accommodated on the new high speed line through South Yorkshire but high costs and a lack of extra demand has lead HS2 Ltd to conclude that there is no case for one to be included in the multi-billion pound project.

A site at Wales in Rotherham was one of two remaining possible locations.

Following a contentious update, HS2 services between London and Sheffield would take a spur off the new north-south high speed line and travel directly to the existing Sheffield Midland station using the existing railway line. The HS2 line to Leeds would travel east of Rotherham following the M1 and M18 before heading through the Dearne Valley. A northern loop from Sheffield joining the HS2 line has still yet to be confirmed.

In 2016 HS2 were asked to study possible sites for a parkway station but a report, due in 2017, has only just been published.

Alongside Wales, Bramley and Hooton Roberts in Rotherham, also on the shortlist was Mexborough, Hickleton and Clayton in Doncaster plus sites at Hemsworth and Fitzwilliam before the previously proposed new HS2 depot at Crofton in West Yorkshire.

Now additional work has been carried out on the M18 route which concludes that "HS2 Ltd has not been able to identify a clear economic or strategic case for the inclusion of a parkway station to serve the South Yorkshire market on the HS2 mainline."

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The work modeled potential demand for various scenarios to find out the impact on HS2 passenger numbers in South Yorkshire and the benefits to, and impacts on, the overall value for money assessment of the HS2 business case.

A station located on the conventional rail network north of Sheffield served by HS2 services appears to perform worse than HS2 mainline parkway station options in terms of passenger numbers. It does, however, show marginally positive increases in benefits and revenues to the overall value for money assessment of the HS2 business case.

Rothbiz reported last week that the Sheffield City Region's (SCR's) new rail plan confirms a preferred location of a site in Goldthorpe for a proposed new Barnsley Dearne Valley railway station. The latest report from HS2 Ltd shows that re-aligning the HS2 line to create a station in this area on a new intersection between the HS2 and conventional rail line is not being progressed.

Work carried out on the updated M18 route saw HS2 Ltd assess Wales in Rotherham and Hemsworth in West Yorkshire as potential parkway station locations.

Bramley was discounted as it would have no conventional rail connectivity, and would therefore not provide for integration with the proposed Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) network. Hooton Roberts was discounted as it would also require a new HS2 mainline alignment which would increase environmental impacts.

The proposed site at Wales (pictured, top) would be to the west of the M1 where the HS2 line is set to cross the classic railway line between Sheffield and Worksop, providing a link to the NPR network which aims to improve connections from Sheffield to Leeds and Sheffield to Manchester.

However, the required realignment of the HS2 mainline would result in increased impacts and significant costs. Infrastructure, tunnels and viaducts would increase the cost of the scheme on this part of the Phase 2b route by £386m. The documents add that fully providing a new parkway station at Wales, along with the associated changes that would be required to the HS2 mainline, would result in a cost increase in the region of £665m.

A station at Hemsworth would result in an increase in the region of £141m for the cost of scheme and fully providing a new parkway station would result in a cost increase in the region of £396m.

The 2017 documents also confirm that it could be beneficial to extend HS2 services from Sheffield to Meadowhall, Rotherham and the Dearne Valley Parkway but just one train per hour may not be viable. Infrastructure costs to take HS2 trains to Rotherham Central would be around £224m, with extending HS2 services to a new Rotherham mainline station, like that included in the SCR's new rail plan, would be £142m in infrastructure costs.

Independent economic analysis has shown that new stations in Rotherham and in the Dearne Valley on a proposed NPR line could boost the economic benefits for the Sheffield city region (SCR) from HS2.

HS2 Ltd website

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News: HS2 parkway decision needed now

David Higgins, the outgoing chairman of HS2 Ltd, says that the Government needs to make a decision on whether a potential parkway station on the high speed route through South Yorkshire will be included in the £55.7 billion project.

The Government has been carrying out a study into a potential station on the main HS2 line in South Yorkshire after it opted to back proposals to re-align the route through the region.

The option proposes that HS2 services between London and Sheffield would take a spur off the new north-south high speed line and travel directly to the existing Sheffield Midland station using the existing railway line. Instead of travelling into a new station at Meadowhall, the HS2 line to Leeds would travel east of Rotherham following the M1 and M18 before heading through the Dearne Valley.

In 2016, the Transport Secretary, Chris Grayling asked HS2 to study possible sites for a parkway station but a report, due in 2017, has not been published.

Alongside Wales, Bramley and Hooton Roberts in Rotherham, also on the shortlist was Mexborough, Hickleton and Clayton in Doncaster plus sites at Hemsworth and Fitzwilliam before the previously proposed new HS2 depot at Crofton in West Yorkshire.

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David Higgins, chairman of HS2 Ltd, said: "In my report on options to serve South Yorkshire, published in 2016, I called on HS2 Ltd and the Secretary of State to consider the potential for a parkway station on the high speed line, which could serve the South Yorkshire areas as a whole, and to extend HS2 services beyond Sheffield Midland to serve locations such as Barnsley and Rotherham.

"Work has since been undertaken in this area and ultimately this is a decision for the Secretary of State for Transport. As we move towards submission of the hybrid Bill for Phase 2b into Parliament, a decision will be needed on whether to include provisions for a potential parkway station in the scheme design.

"Including passive provision for a parkway would allow the infrastructure to be future proofed to meet the future needs of communities and businesses in South Yorkshire."

The government said in 2017 that it intends to bring forward a third hybrid Bill for phase 2b in 2019.

The delay in whether a station is included, and on where it might go, has also caused headaches for the Sheffield city region (SCR) who were provided with £1.3m in Government funding to study the impacts of the new route and how it can get the most out of HS2.

The high-level Government study considered eight possible locations based on the assumed HS2 route through the SCR. However, it did not go so far as to examine the potential economic or social benefits from a Parkway at each location or investigate the environmental impact.

The HS2 Growth Study for the SCR has been delayed. An evidence base report and a connectivity study was commissioned first, whilst the business, skills and employment workstream was postponed.

A report to the SCR Combined Authority in March explained that uncertainty had made it difficult to accurately quantify or identify the economic benefits, adding: "This has been exacerbated by the ongoing uncertainty over whether there will be a parkway station in South Yorkshire and its precise location. Such a station could have significant impacts on the overall economic position."

At the start of July, HS2 Ltd was asked by the Department for Transport to begin preparatory works for the future electrification of a 25km section of the Midland Main Line from Clay Cross to Sheffield Midland Station. Confirming works on the spur for HS2, no announcement has yet been made on paying for the Northern Loop out of Sheffield.

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News: Rotherham sites considered for potential HS2 parkway station

Wales, Bramley and Hooton Roberts are on a shortlist for a potential parkway station on the main HS2 line between London and Leeds.

The Government is carrying out a study into a potential station on the main HS2 line in South Yorkshire after it opted to back proposals to re-align the route through the region.

The new option proposes that HS2 services between London and Sheffield would take a spur off the new north-south high speed line and travel directly to the existing Sheffield Midland station using the existing railway line. Instead of travelling into a new station at Meadowhall, the HS2 line to Leeds would travel east of Rotherham following the M1 and M18 before heading through the Dearne Valley.

The new recommendations would cut journey times on services heading to Leeds, York and Newcastle, and would also reduce the cost of the project by around £1 billion but it did not commit to creating a connection back onto the HS2 mainline north of Sheffield Midland, or to a parkway station on the mainline. This left local MPs stating that areas would "take all the disruption but receive none of the benefits."

The Transport Secretary, Chris Grayling asked HS2 to study possible sites for a parkway station in October and a report is due back early this year.

Alongside Wales, Bramley (pictured) and Hooton Roberts in Rotherham, also on the shortlist is Mexborough, Hickleton and Clayton in Doncaster plus sites at Hemsworth and Fitzwilliam before the proposed new HS2 depot at Crofton in West Yorkshire.

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Paul Griffiths, development director at HS2 Ltd, confirmed the locations and told the BBC: "Whenever we develop part of the route we look at a wide range of options and these are the places we have focused our attention because there are already roads there and there is already access. But we are at a very early stage of the development here and people shouldn't get too hooked up on these because it is early stage.

"We were asked to look at a parkway station by the secretary of state as a way of spreading the benefit of HS2 by providing additional access onto the railway for a wider area."

At the end of 2016, Sir David Higgins, non-executive chair of High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd, discussed the reasons for the changes in South Yorkshire. He also said: "We are looking at a parkway on this new line which would be between Wakefield, Doncaster and Rotherham. That will open up to a lot of people who have no services whatsoever at the moment.

"It is extremely close to the A1/M1, which as time goes on is becoming more and more of a critical corridor for access. Being able to have a parkway there that would be able to take traffic off that motorway I think in time will be seen as very attractive."

With no budget set for a Northern loop or a parkway station in the region, the Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership is seeking "a clear and unequivocal commitment to constructing the loop north of Sheffield to the main HS2 line" and assurances that "parkway station intentions are genuine."

When the initial route passing through Meadowhall was announced in 2013 it was revealed that HS2 had discounted Thurcroft, Bramley, Hellaby and Wath upon Dearne as locations for a potential station when experts first examined the possibility of the high speed route running to the east of Rotherham.

HS2 Ltd has arranged a number of events for residents to find out more about the high speed rail project and how it will affect the Rotherham area. The consultation on the proposed changes to the route closes on March 9.

HS2 Ltd website

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