Community meeting organised over massive solar farm plans stretching across Rotherham and Doncaster
The information event comes as a public consultation process enters its last month
Members of communities set to be affected by plans to build a massive solar farm are set to meet this week to share information.
Organisers at the Firsby Residents Association have said that the meeting to discuss the proposed Whitestone Solar Farm is “not intended to be a protest or campaign rally”.
Instead the hope is that details of the scale of the proposal will be shared with residents who may not be aware.
If approved, Whitestone would cover almost 3,000 acres on 14 plots in Doncaster and Rotherham and generate 750 MW of electricity, enough to power 250,000 homes, according to Green Nation, the company managing the project.
Despite previous discussions and an ongoing consultation from the Planning Inspectorate, members of Firsby Residents Association fear that many don’t truly understand the scale of the proposal, prompting them to organise the meeting at Ravenfield Parish Hall between 5pm and 9pm on Thursday, August 6.
“The event has been organised by Firsby Residents Association following concerns that many residents across both Doncaster and Rotherham still do not understand the true scale of the proposal or how they can continue to have their say now that the application is being examined by the Planning Inspectorate,” organisers have said.
“To support the evening, community campaign groups from both Doncaster and Rotherham have agreed to attend and assist residents with understanding the examination process and, if they wish, registering as an interested party before the August 27 deadline.”
The project would include underground cabling and three new substations: one in the north near Conisbrough, one near Upper Whiston in Rotherham - with a battery storage system - and one between Hardwick and North Anston in Rotherham.
It has received scrutiny from MPs and residents alike, with the public consultation running until the end of the month as the Planning Inspectorate continue their review.
Nevertheless developers say that it is an important party of building renewable energy schemes in the UK.
Jonathan Thompson, CEO of Green Nation, said: “It is crucial for the UK that large renewables projects such as Whitestone can be progressed as quickly as possible, whilst also ensuring they are properly scrutinised.
“Whitestone would make a significant contribution to national energy targets, helping to reduce energy costs, increase energy security and fight against climate change, while also creating local benefits through jobs and a community benefit fund.”