FAQs

The proposed development

  • Great North Road (GNR) Solar Park is a new large-scale solar development being proposed by Elements Green. The project would comprise the installation of ground-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, an on-site energy storage facility, and the infrastructure needed to connect the scheme into Staythorpe National Grid substation in Nottinghamshire.

    The proposal would include significant biodiversity enhancement including tree planting, wildflower meadows, and wetland areas. Work is underway to assess the enhancement of public rights of way and the creation of permissive walkways. If consented, the project is anticipated as being able to generate around 800 megawatts (MW) AC of electricity. It could provide enough clean, affordable electricity to power around 400,000 UK homes annually.¹

    ¹ Figure is based on annual generation estimates of 1,125,600MWh and Ofgem’s estimate that a typical household in Britain uses 2,700kWh of electricity per annum.

  • Elements Green is a solar and energy storage developer. We are a team of renewable energy experts who are focused on powering a sustainable future. With an established global reach, we are at the forefront of technological change within our sector.

    Over seven gigawatts (GW) are in the development pipeline, with projects across the UK, Italy, Germany, Australia, and the USA.

    Further information about Elements Green is available at: elementsgreen.com

  • GNR Solar Park is proposed as being located on approximately 2,800 hectares (6,920 acres) of land to the northwest of Newark in Nottinghamshire.

  • A key factor influencing the location of GNR Solar Park is the availability of a connection at National Grid’s Staythorpe substation. The closure of fossil fuel power stations has created capacity on the grid. This would enable GNR Solar Park to continue the tradition of power generation in the area using a clean, renewable resource.

    In addition, a range of planning and environmental factors such as the existing land use, quality of land, as well as designations and planning and technical constraints have also informed our choice of location for the scheme.

  • The UK has set ambitious and legally binding targets to eliminate carbon emissions and achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Large scale solar development is recognised as having an important role to play in helping achieve this target. The British Energy Security Strategy, published in April 2022, specifically aims to increase the UK’s solar capacity fivefold by 2035, equivalent to around 70GW total generation capacity.

    Subject to being consented and becoming operational, GNR Solar Park would make a significant contribution towards achieving this goal: generating clean, affordable, home-grown electricity that would avoid around 250,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide from entering our atmosphere annually.²

    GNR Solar Park would also contribute towards UK energy security and tackling the cost-of-living crisis head-on through the reduction of household energy bills.

    ² Figure based on average lifetime carbon intensity of a solar panel (40gCO2eq/kWh) versus the average carbon intensity of power in the UK grid (263gCO2eq/kWh in 2021).

  • The design life of the proposed solar park is expected to be around 40 years. If the project is consented the permission would be temporary. When this time has lapsed, the equipment will be removed, and the land reinstated to its original use.

    Any extension to the life of GNR Solar Park would be dependent on new negotiations with landowners and new planning consent.

  • The development we are proposing would comprise solar photovoltaic (PV) panels and an on-site energy storage facility. The energy storage system would deliver significant efficiency, whereby electricity generated by the solar PV panels could be stored in batteries at times when demand for electricity is low, and then released on to the grid at times of higher demand. This serves to improve reliability, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness of electricity supply by providing an important balancing service for the national grid.

    The principle components of the scheme we are proposing would include:

    (1) Ground-mounted solar PV panels to harness sunlight and convert it into electricity as direct current (DC).

    (2) An inverter converting the direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC) and a transformer to step up the voltage so that the electricity can be exported to the national grid.

    (3) A battery energy storage system that could store electricity generated by the solar PV panels, releasing it onto the national grid when it is needed most.

    (4) Underground cables transfer the power to a substation.

    (5) The onsite substation transforms the voltage so that it can connect to the grid.

    (6) The site may also include landscaping for visual mitigation and to increase biodiversity, as well as fencing for security.

    During construction, temporary construction compounds would be required, as well as potential access roads or temporary roadways. Also, several permanent compounds would be required for maintenance.

    Because solar PV and energy storage technology is rapidly evolving, the application we submit for GNR Solar Park will include flexibility to allow us to use the latest technology available at the time of construction.

Community and environment

  • In addition to supporting the UK on a national level by creating low-cost, renewable energy, we believe those communities closest to the proposed development should benefit from it – with these communities being best placed to recommend what they believe a ‘community benefit’ should be.

    Subject to consent being granted, Great North Road Solar Park would offer a community benefit package – known as NG+ which has the potential to make available around £1 million per annum to support local causes. This would be in addition to, and separate from, payment of estimated £1.5m – £3m business rates to the local authority when the project becomes operational, contributing to the provision of local services.

    We are committed to working with local communities to identify and define community benefits. In addition to direct local job creation during construction and operation, we will be working with local schools, colleges and educational establishments to help create career opportunities and apprenticeships.

    We are keen to hear your suggestions on local schemes and projects we could support or deliver to benefit those communities closest to the project.

  • Yes. In the event of the proposed development being consented, existing public rights of way would remain open. While we may need to temporarily close some paths during construction for safety reasons, we are committed to ensuring public access is maintained across the site.

    Separately, we welcome any suggestions for additional accesses we could incorporate into the project design as we continue to refine our proposals.

  • Ground-mounted solar projects can deliver major benefits to the environment. Solar farms can deliver significant benefits for the local environment and support a range of ecosystem services, such as generating new habitats, supporting sustainable agriculture, and reducing carbon emissions.

    The solar PV panels themselves are set on posts, so there is minimal disturbance to the ground. This means the land underneath and between the panels is available to implement measures that actively improve the environment and can provide a range of ecological benefits to support new and existing plant and animal life.

    The importance of these benefits is now recognised by law, whereby under the 2021 Environment Act, all new developments in England which require planning consent must demonstrate a Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) of at least 10 per cent.

    While we have not yet reached a stage of having an exact estimate of the biodiversity net gain for GNR Solar Park, our ambition is to exceed this baseline requirement. The proposals we develop will set aside areas for environmental enhancements that create new or enhance existing habitats. These could include establishing wildflower meadows to provide habitats for pollinators and birds, promoting wetland habitats that support aquatic life, and new planting to preserve, restore and deliver new hedgerows and native species. We are currently assessing the local environment to identify these key species and habitats and would like to hear from you regarding any suggestions and ideas you might have to enhance the natural environment.

  • We understand that there are concerns about the loss of agricultural land to solar development. However only 0.08 per cent of land in the UK is currently taken up by solar and if the UK were to achieve the Government's stated ambition of increasing the nation’s solar capacity fivefold to 70GW by 2035 analysis indicates solar developments would account for approximately 0.4-0.6 per cent of UK land.¹

    Solar parks can be beneficial to local agriculture. As well as providing a valuable source of income to local farmers to support their livelihoods, the land that is used for the panels cannot be cultivated intensively while the solar park is operating, so it can support sustainable farming by allowing grazing or native apiaries on land underneath and between panels.

    For land that has been intensively farmed, the installation of a solar park also enables the ground underneath to recover. This allows the soil quality to improve over the lifespan of the project, when the land is returned to its original use, to continue to support agriculture for future generations.

    In addition, no tenant farms will be displaced as a result of this scheme.

    ¹ Solar Energy UK Briefing, Everything Under the Sun – the Facts about Solar Energy

Process and next steps

  • A Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) is a large-scale project over a certain size considered by the Government to be nationally important. Permission to build them is therefore decided at a national level – namely by the responsible Government Minister.

    When seeking consent for an NSIP, instead of applying to a local planning authority for planning permission, the developer needs to apply to the Planning Inspectorate for a Development Consent Order (DCO). The process of applying for a DCO is set out in the Planning Act 2008.

    GNR Solar Park is regarded as an NSIP because it is anticipated as having an installed capacity of around 800MW, more than the 50MW threshold set out in the Planning Act 2008.

    In the case of energy related NSIPs, the Planning Inspectorate acts on behalf of the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero. It will carry out an examination of our application for development consent and then make a recommendation to the Secretary of State on whether to grant consent. The Secretary of State will make the final decision on whether to grant consent for Great North Road Solar Park.

    You can find out more about the process of applying for a DCO on the National Infrastructure Planning website here.

  • Yes. Public consultation forms an important part of the pre-application process for NSIPs. Early and ongoing consultation will inform and influence the development of our proposals for the project. Local communities, residents, and councils all have an important role to play.

    The development of our proposals for GNR Solar Park will be an iterative process. We anticipate holding at least two phases of community consultation when we will invite your views on our proposals. This feedback will be reviewed by the project team to help inform and influence the evolving proposals.

    We are planning to hold an initial phase of community consultation in early 2024. This will be a non-statutory stage of consultation during which time we will share details of our early-stage proposals for the overall project and invite you to tell what you think. We will use the views and comments you submit during this first stage of consultation, together with the findings from ongoing studies and surveys we are carrying out, to help us shape and refine our proposals.

    Further to developing more detailed proposals for the project we will carry out a second phase of consultation. This will be a statutory stage of consultation required by the application process for NSIPs. We expect to carry out this second phase of consultation in autumn 2024

    This statutory consultation is intended to give you the opportunity to comment on our updated proposals and how they have evolved since the initial consultation. We will be specifically interested in seeking your views on:

    • The location of equipment for the solar and energy park

    • The cable connection between the solar energy park and Staythorpe substation.

    • The measures we are proposing to mitigate the impacts associated with the project during construction and when it becomes operational.

    We will continue to review our proposals in light of feedback received during this second phase of consultation along with the findings from our ongoing assessments to finalise our detailed plans for GNR Solar Park so we can then submit our application for development consent to the Planning Inspectorate.

    The second stage of consultation will likely be the last time we consult on our proposals for GNR Solar Park. However, subject to the Planning Inspectorate accepting our application for examination you will be able to register your interest in our proposals with it. The Planning Inspectorate will then keep you informed about the progress of our application as well as further opportunities to inform and contribute to that process.

    If you would like to be updated directly as new information about the project and consultation activity becomes available, you can register your details with us here.

  • We anticipate the development process through DCO submission and examination will take between two to three years. We are working towards submitting our application for development consent to the Planning Inspectorate in mid-2025. Subject to consent being granted, construction would start no earlier than 2027.

    You can find a timeline for the project here.