FAQs

The Development

  • Great North Road (GNR) Solar and Biodiversity Park would comprise the installation of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, an on-site energy storage facility and the infrastructure needed to connect the scheme into the national grid at Staythorpe substation, as well as  biodiversity enhancements including 64,500 trees and 50km of new hedgerow.

    If consented, the Development 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

  • The Development is proposed to occupy approximately 1,765 hectares of land to the northwest of Newark, Nottinghamshire. Of this, approximately 550 hectares are proposed for solar PV modules. The remaining is allocated for mitigation and enhancement measures, underground cabling, and safe access during construction.

    Biodiversity enhancements being proposed include the planting of 64,500 trees and over 50km species-rich hedgerow, as well as enhancing habitats across the solar park site.

  • A key factor influencing the location of GNR Solar and Biodiversity 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 and Biodiversity 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 and Biodiversity Park would make a significant contribution towards achieving this goal: generating clean, affordable, home-grown electricity.

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

  • The design life of the proposed solar park is expected to be around 40 years. If the Development 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 and Biodiversity 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 principal 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 and Biodiversity 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 and Biodiversity 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 Development 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. 

    To continue in our efforts to identify and define community benefits, we are keen to hear your suggestions on local schemes and projects we could support or deliver to benefit those communities closest to the Development during our Second Phase of (Statutory) Consultation. You can do this by filling in our online feedback here, by sending an email to info@gnrsolarpark.co.uk, filling in a feedback form at one of our in-person events, or by printing off a hardcopy of the feedback form and sending it to FREEPOST GNR SOLAR (you do not need a stamp).  

    Suggestions may include:  

    • Local environment – Supporting projects to enhance woodlands, meadows, wetlands, and hedgerows, to ensure species protection and foster ecological balance, and develop a flood alleviation strategy to tackle pre-existing flooding. 

    • Employment and education – Collaborating with local educational organisations through education programmes, school visits and apprenticeships to re-skill the local workforce. 

    • Wellbeing – Enhancing local amenities, such as creating new picnic and play areas, and linking new and existing footpaths. 

    • Food security – Looking at projects to tackle food poverty by supporting targeted distribution programmes and work to reduce food waste. 

    • Energy efficiency – Offering grants for energy-related home improvements such as insulation, solar panels and heat pumps. 

    More information on the NG+ Community Benefit Scheme can be found via this link https://ngplus.uk/

  • 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.

    Our updated proposals, which we are currently consulting on, include several updates to the design of the park which include enhancements to recreational spaces, such as:

    • New permissive pathways and cycling routes: The new paths will connect with existing routes. Certain new paths are designed for horse riding and cycling and are landscaped where suitable.

    • Incorporating a large new community orchard, to support health and well-being

    • Funding from our NG+ community benefit scheme will be directed towards local recreational projects, such as community gardens, allotments and outdoor fitness

    After the commencement of our Second Phase of Consultation, we will:

    • Finalise the footpath designs in line with community feedback

    • Continue to work closely with local councils, recreational organisations and community groups

    • Establish maintenance plans to keep these recreational spaces safe and clean

    We welcome any suggestions for additional accesses we could incorporate into the project design as we continue to refine our proposals. You can do this by filling in our online feedback here, by sending an email to info@gnrsolarpark.co.uk, filling in a feedback form at one of our in-person events, or by printing off a hardcopy of the feedback form and sending it to FREEPOST GNR SOLAR (you do not need a stamp).

  • 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. 

    Biodiversity Steering Group 

    Elements Green has established a Biodiversity Steering Group (BSG), with respected conservation partners, including the RSPB, Sherwood Forest Trust, Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust and Trent Rivers Trust. The key commitments of the BSG are: 

    • Increasing the diversity of habitats to support birds, insects, pollinators and small mammals, helping deliver a Biodiversity Net Gain across the site.  

    • Enhancing habitat quality through active management to improve ecological value  

    • Planting over 5,000 native trees, 46 km of new hedgerows and 850 acres of native wildflower meadows, grasslands and wetlands  

    • Establishing wildlife corridors to reduce habitat fragmentation  

    We will continue to engage with our partners through further BSG design meetings to refine the details of the biodiversity enhancement areas, as well as considering feedback received from the Second Phase of (Statutory) consultation.  

  • 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 Development, 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. 

    Our key commitments include: 

    • Avoiding siting the scheme on the Highest Grade Land based on data provided by Natural England  

    • Collaborating with local farmers for Dual Land Use and incorporating sheep grazing under and around the solar PV arrays 

    • Removing intensive farming, which eliminates nitrates and phosphates from the land, supporting soil health, biodiversity and improving water quality  

    Additionally, the decommissioning bond, which we will adhere to if Great North Road Solar and Biodiversity Park receives Development Consent, guarantees funding for the removal of equipment after the 40 years of operation.

    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 and Biodiversity Park is 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.  The Planning Inspectorate has undertaken an Examination stage which concluded on 28 April 2026. A three-month period will now commence where a recommendation is made to the Secretary of State on whether to grant consent for Great North Road Solar and Biodiversity Park. 

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

  • We submitted a DCO application for Great North Road Solar and Biodiversity Park on 27 June 2025. The Planning Inspectorate (PINS) has reviewed the materials and accepted this application for examination, which is a statutory part of the process for nationally significant infrastructure projects.

    The Examination schedule was formally publicised by the Planning Inspectorate following the release of the Rule 6 Letter. Please click here to view the Rule 6 Letter.

    The Examination officially commenced at the close of the Preliminary Meeting on Wednesday 26 November 2025. The Preliminary Meeting set out how the Examination will be conducted, including the proposed timetable, the format of the hearings, and key procedural matters.

    Recordings and transcripts of the Preliminary Meeting, as well as Issue Specific Hearings 1, 2 and 3, Open Floor Hearing 1, and Compulsory Acquisition Hearing 1, are available to view on the Planning Inspectorate’s webpage. Please click here to access these materials.

    The Examination can take up to six months, and is currently due to close on Tuesday 28 April 2026. Following this, the Examining Authority will have three months to write and submit a recommendation report to the Secretary of State, to inform their decision on whether to grant consent for the project to be built (which will follow up to three months following this receipt of the recommendation report). A final decision on the plans is expected to take place in late 2026.

    Further details of our application and of the Examination can be found on the Planning Inspectorate’s website for Great North Road Solar and Biodiversity Park. There you will find the Examination timetable, as well as the Examination library.

    Subject to consent being granted, construction would start no earlier than 2027.