Newark Town Council has voted to support plans for The Great North Road Solar and Biodiversity Park project in Newark and Sherwood

A council is offering its support to major solar project which could see one of the UKs largest solar parks built in Newark and Sherwood.

Plans for The Great North Road Solar and Biodiversity Park are currently being finalised and are due to be submitted to the planning inspectorate this summer — classed as a nationally significant infrastructure project, the plans will be decided by government.

If approved, the project would see approximately 1.5m solar panels stationed across nearly 4,000 acres of land to the north of Newark.

Until now, Newark Town Council has not offered an opinion on the project, instead choosing to wait until all public consultation had ended and the plans were in the process of being finalised.

Developers, Elements Green, were invited to speak with the council and update members on the findings of the second phase consultation, which ended in February.

Project director, Mark Noone, and other representatives, took questions and addressed concerns which were raised.

Councillors heard that many of their concerns had previously been raised during initial public consultations, and steps had already been taken to address them.

One major concern was the worry that agricultural land and wildlife habitat would be lost.

It was explained that after receiving feedback, efforts were made to adapt the proposals, including partnering with local sheep farmers to ensure that sheep could still be raised in solar panel fields.

The use of the land would also be “temporary”, with a lifespan of 40 years before the solar farms are decommissioned and the land returned to farming use.

Solar panels will be mounted on steel frames, constructed on site, and driven straight into the ground without concrete supports, making them easy to remove when the land is restored.

It was clarified that the fields selected for use had been independently assessed not to be of the highest grade food production land, and it was also argued the 40 years would allow the soil time to recover from centuries of intensive farming.

As of November last year, Elements Green incorporated biodiversity enhancements as part of the project including the planting of 50,000 new trees and 25km of new hedgerow, following discussions with Nottinghamshire-based environmental and wildlife organisations.

The developers were also keen to point out that a deal had been struck whereby British Steel would supply the steel for the panel frames and take it back once the solar farms are decommissioned, meaning the recycling of materials was “baked into the project”.

Paul Taylor asked about how flood risk had been taken into account during the planning process.

The developers explained that they had taken great care not to worsen the current situation, something which must be proven to the planning inspectorate.

The plans are also in the process of being adapted to match updated flood mapping data, meaning a number of solar panel fields will be reduced in size or removed altogether.

Mr Noone explained that they would also be funding several flood alleviation and prevention measures to improve protection in the area.

Disruption during the construction phases will be kept to a minimum, with designated routes and times for lorries and trucks to avoid rural roads from clogging up with traffic.

They are also obligated to ensure that the road network is in sound condition before and after construction to ensure it is suitable for heavy good vehicles. If the roads are damaged then the developer must fix them.

Any disruption to residents will also be migratory, as each area will see deliveries for a short period before moving the other site across the project area.

A question was also raised by Lisa Geary about the number of solar projects popping up in and around Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire compared to other parts of the country and the visual impact of this.

The reason given was the naturally flat land of the region, meaning solar farms could more easily be screened from view, and the historic siting of power stations along the Trent Valley making connection to the National Grid much easier.

Mr Noone also argued that having greater competition among solar suppliers would ultimately bring the cost of energy down for the consumer.

Elements Green have also committed to a £40m funding pot to support community causes within 2km of the solar park. £1m will be made available every year over the project’s 40 year lifespans.

Applicants can also submit requests to fund energy efficiency initiatives such as adding solar panels to their homes or public buildings, and electric vehicle charging points.

Although most councillors were satisfied with the answers which had been provided, others remained staunchly opposed to the plans, including Mathew Skinner, who described putting solar panels on fields as “madness”.

Ultimately councillors voted to support the The Great North Road Solar and Biodiversity Park by named and recorded vote.

Voting in support were; Dawn Campbell, Barbara Corrigan, Esther Cropper, Sophie Dickinson, Lisa Geary, Laurence Goff, Neil Ross, Lyn Roulstone, and Paul Taylor. Those against were; Irene Brown, Tom Collier, Jack Kellas, Diane Ledger, and Mathew Skinner.

The plans are currently in the pre-application stage and are officially due to be submitted in summer 2025.

If approved, construction could begin in 2027, with the solar park expected to be operational two years later. It must then be decommissioned within its 40 year lifespan.