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consent for the construction, operation, maintenance and decommissioning of the Whitestone Solar Farm - Planning Application
What is planned?
NOTICE OF ACCEPTANCE OF AN APPLICATION FOR A DEVELOPMENT CONSENT ORDER BY THE PLANNING INSPECTORATE (ON BEHALF OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR ENERGY SECURITY AND NET ZERO) FOR THE PROPOSED WHITESTONE SOLAR FARM DEVELOPMENT CONSENT ORDER
SECTION 56 OF THE PLANNING ACT 2008
REGULATIONS 8 AND 9 OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING (APPLICATIONS: PRESCRIBED FORMS AND PROCEDURE) REGULATIONS 2009
REGULATION 16 OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING (ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT) REGULATIONS 2017
PLANNING INSPECTORATE REFERENCE: EN0110020
Notice of Application acceptance
1. Notice is hereby given that the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero (‘SoS’) has accepted an application (the ‘Application’) for a Development Consent Order (‘DCO’) made by Whitestone Net Zero Ltd (registered company number: 15826972) (the ‘Applicant’) whose registered office is The Long Barn Manor Courtyard, Stratton-On-The-Fosse, Radstock, England, BA3 4QF, under Section 55 of the Planning Act 2008 (the ‘2008 Act’). The Application was received by the Planning Inspectorate (acting on behalf of the SoS) on 10 June 2026 and accepted for examination on 3 July 2026. The reference number assigned to the Application is EN0110020.
2. The Application seeks development consent for the construction, operation, maintenance and decommissioning of the Whitestone Solar Farm, a solar photovoltaic (‘PV’) array generating facility and energy storage facility and associated infrastructure (the ‘Proposed Development’) on land to the east of Sheffield, South Yorkshire (the ‘Site’).
Summary of the Proposed Development
3. The Site is located within the administrative areas of the City of Doncaster Council and Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council. The southern extent of the Proposed Order Limits cross into the administrative area of North East Derbyshire District Council within Derbyshire County Council. The solar arrays referred to as Whitestone 1 are proposed to the south of Conisbrough, Whitestone 2 to the east of Brinsworth, and Whitestone 3 to the west and north of Harthill. The Site extends to approximately 1,488 hectares. A map showing the location of the Proposed Development is available here:
4. The Proposed Development comprises several areas of land connected by a series of underground cables. The Proposed Development will establish a grid connection via underground cabling to the National Electricity Transmission System at the new proposed National Grid substation at east of Long Lane, Brinsworth, S60 4JJ (‘Long Lane 400kV substation’), which will transfer the electricity to the national electricity network.
5. The main elements of the Proposed Development include:
Solar PV arrays and supporting infrastructure
Solar mounting infrastructure and perimeter fencing
Power conversion stations, including inverters, transformers and switchgear
Secondary construction compounds for temporary storage of infrastructure before installation
Underground interconnection cables
A Battery Energy Storage System, designed to offer peak power generation and grid balancing services to the electrical grid
Substations to include a primary substation, satellite substations and associated infrastructure
Highway works including the creation of access points, visibility splays and any localised upgrades to road
Drainage associated with primary substation
Primary construction compounds for the temporary storage of materials, plant, and equipment. The compounds would also house staff welfare facilities, parking areas, waste storage and wheel washing areas
Proposed landscaping/green infrastructure including habitat enhancement and biodiversity works
Crossings over non-navigable watercourses
Other infrastructure works such as on-site access tracks, fencing and closed-circuit television, lighting, and glint and glare fencing
6. The Proposed Development is a nationally significant infrastructure project (‘NSIP’) because it would have a generating capacity in excess of 100MW. This is an application made to the Planning Inspectorate and decided by the Secretary of State in accordance with the Planning Act 2008.
7. The DCO, if granted, would authorise the compulsory acquisition of land, interests in land and rights over land, and the powers to use land permanently and temporarily for the construction, operation and maintenance of the Proposed Development. The DCO would also authorise the construction of temporary and permanent accesses to the Proposed Development, the temporary stopping up or diversion of public rights of way, street works and highway works, and the application and disapplication of certain legislation.
Environmental Impact Assessment
8. Due to its nature and size, the Proposed Development is classified as Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) development for the purposes of the Infrastructure Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017. An EIA has therefore been undertaken for the Proposed Development, and the Application is accompanied by an Environmental Statement which reports on the EIA.
Application form and accompanying documents
9. The Application form and its accompanying documents including the draft DCO, plans, the Environmental Statement and Non-technical Summary (‘Application Documents’) can be viewed online, or downloaded free of charge, from the Whitestone Solar Farm page of Planning Inspectorate’s website under the Documents tab:
https://national-infrastructure-
consenting.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/projects/EN0110020/documents
10. The Application Documents can also be found and downloaded free of charge on the Applicant’s website:
https://whitestonesolarfarm.co.uk
under the heading ‘Resources’. The Application Documents will be available on both the above websites at least until the SoS makes their decision whether or not to grant the DCO.
Making representations
11. Any person may make representation on the Application to the Secretary of State (i.e. give notice of any interest in, or objection to, the Application) during the representation period. Representations must be made directly to the Planning Inspectorate. By submitting a representation, you will become an Interested Person, which gives you the right to make further representations about the Application during the examination process.
12. Representations must be made on the Planning Inspectorate’s Registration and Relevant Representation Form and give the grounds on which it is made. The Registration and Relevant Representation Form will be made available by the Planning Inspectorate once the registration/relevant representation period has opened on the Planning Inspectorate’s website:
https://national-infrastructure-
consenting.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/projects/EN0110020
13. Forms completed in hard copy should be sent to The Planning Inspectorate, National Infrastructure Directorate, Temple Quay House, Temple Quay, Bristol BS1 6PN. The Planning Inspectorate reference for the Application (EN0110020) should be quoted in any correspondence.
14. Please note that Relevant Representations must be received by the Planning Inspectorate by 11:59 on 27 August 2026.
15. If you require guidance, or other methods to obtain and complete a copy of the Planning Inspectorate’s Registration and Relevant Representation Form, please contact the Planning Inspectorate by telephone on 0303 444 5000 or email at
nienquiries@planninginspectorate.gov.uk,
quoting the name of the Application and the Planning Inspectorate reference number (Whitestone Solar Farm, EN0110020).
16. Planning Inspectorate guidance ‘Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects: How to register to have your say and make a relevant representation’ provides further guidance on how to register and make a relevant representation and can be accessed via the following link:
17. Relevant Representations will be made public and will be subject to the Planning Inspectorate’s privacy policy at:
Applicant contact details
18. If you have any questions about the Application Documents, you can emai
info@whitestonesolarfarm.co.uk,
or contact the Applicant by telephone on 0800 688 9936, but note that comments on the application should be submitted to the Planning Inspectorate using the process outlined above.
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