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Solar farm given go-ahead despite objections

News imageBBC/Jack Hadaway-Weller A large open field with short, green grass stretching across the foreground and into the distance. A metal farm gate with horizontal bars runs across the lower portion of the image, marking the boundary of the field. In the distance, a line of trees and hedgerows forms the horizon, creating a natural border around the landscape. Off to the right side of the field, there is a small, empty livestock feeder standing on a patch of disturbed ground.BBC/Jack Hadaway-Weller
Construction at the site in Fenwick could start as early as 2029

Plans for a solar farm in Doncaster have been given the go-ahead despite objections from residents.

The 536-hectare development near the villages of Fenwick, Moss, Topham and Sykehouse was granted development consent by the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero this week.

Residents opposing the plans previously raised concerns about the impact on wildlife and loss of arable land.

Boom Power, the developer behind the multi-million pound scheme, said it hoped construction could start as soon as 2027.

On its website, it said the solar farm would make "a significant contribution" towards the UK meeting its net zero targets and would deliver against Doncaster Council's priorities around tackling climate change and generating more electricity from renewable sources.

According to Boom Power, the Fenwick Solar Farm development would deliver enough carbon-free electricity to power 75,000 homes.

News imageBoom Power An aerial shot high about several fieldsBoom Power
Aerial shot of the proposed site for the Fenwick Solar Farm

Fenwick Solar Farm Action Group member Ami Sett, 55, believes the scheme would "ruin the landscape".

"The land now is pleasant and green. And if it was covered in solar panels, it would be all very glassy and there'd be no horses running about, no sheep," the software developer from nearby Moss said.

"It just would not be the same. I haven't moved to the countryside to live next to an industrial site."

He said the group would continue their "fight", adding: "I'm all for green energy, but it's just got to be done right."

News imageJack Hadaway-Weller A middle aged man in a blue polo shirt stands in-front of a fence and field of cropsJack Hadaway-Weller
Ami Sett from Fenwick Solar Farm Action Group believes the site would take up valuable farmland

Rob Smith, head of project development, said objections against solar projects were not unusual and were often "about the unknown and change".

He said about 90 acres at the site would be used for wildlife habitats and public rights of way would be preserved.

Once the project was under way, he said a community benefit fund would be opened to allocate money for local projects.

Smith said that although the electricity would not directly power nearby villages, it would feed into the national grid.

Smith said the development is expected to be linked to the national electricity grid by 2032 but Boom Power was hoping to bring the date forward to 2029.

Construction would take roughly two years, he added.

News imageBoom Power A grassy field bordered by a series of evenly spaced wooden fence posts connected by wire mesh fencing. Behind the fence, several large solar panel arrays are arranged in rows, tilted at an angle to face the sky. The panels extend across much of the background, forming a uniform pattern. Trees and shrubs line the far left edge of the scene, and the sky above is pale and overcast.Boom Power
What the site could look like after one year

As the scheme is classed as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project, permission to build had to be granted by the government rather than Doncaster Council.

In a letter, minister Alan Whitehead, on behalf of the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero concluded the public benefits associated with the development "outweigh the harm identified", and that consent should therefore be granted.

Energy minister Michael Shanks said: "Solar is one of the cheapest and quickest power sources we can build, it is crucial in our mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower – helping us get bills down for good, while giving us energy security and good jobs."

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