One Planet. One Chance.
East Yorkshire Solar Farm Limited (a Boom Power company) is proposing a new solar farm with energy storage, known as East Yorkshire Solar Farm, situated between the villages of Gribthorpe, Spaldington, Wressle, and the town of Howden (the Scheme).
The Scheme will generate approximately 400 megawatts (MW) of low-carbon electricity, enough to power around 100,000 homes and contributing to the government’s targets of reaching net-zero by the year 2050 and 70 gigawatts of solar generated electricity by 2035.
The Scheme comprises solar photovoltaic (PV) panels; underground cabling between the areas of panels, onsite substations and underground cabling to the National Grid’s substation at Drax, areas of landscaping and biodiversity enhancement; and associated infrastructure. The land required for the Scheme (including the cable routes) covers an area of approximately 1,277 hectares.
The UK is a net importer of electricity. The Scheme will contribute to the UK’s urgent need to transition to a sustainable, clean future by enabling energy security and self-sufficiency.
East Yorkshire Solar Farm is a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) because it has a proposed generating capacity of more than 50 MW of electricity. Permission for these types of development is given through a Development Consent Order (DCO), which is granted by the Secretary of State.
We introduced our initial proposals during a non-statutory consultation held from 3 October 2022 to 30 October 2022. We then held a second consultation, also known as a statutory consultation, from 9 May 2023 to 20 June 2023. After this, a targeted consultation was held between 1 September 2023 to 2 October 2023 and the DCO application for East Yorkshire Solar Farm was accepted by PINS for Examination on 19 December 2023. The examination opened on 21 May 2024 and will last six months.
This webpage explains more about the Scheme proposals, the previous consultations, how the DCO process works, and most importantly how you can have your say and ask any questions. Below is an indicative timeline of the DCO process for the Scheme, which is updated accordingly.
Hectares of Land
Homes Powered
Net Zero Target
Additional Trees
& Hedgerows
Planted
Creation of
Wildlife
Habitats
Public
Rights of Way
Preserved
STATUTORY CONSULTATION
CONNECTING PEOPLE.
Targeted Consultation (Closed)
Following the statutory consultation undertaken between 9 May and 20 June 2023, East Yorkshire Solar Farm Limited is proposing to make 24 changes to the Site Boundary for the Scheme.
A summary of the proposed changes can be found in the Targeted Consultation Brochure located in our documentation library. The changes relate to minor additions to the Site Boundary which result in a small increase in land required for the Scheme.
The changes proposed have been assessed and do not introduce any new significant environmental effects. This means that the findings of the Preliminary Environmental Information Report published at our statutory consultation have not changed.
However, we are still contacting those who have been identified as having an interest in the land affected by the changes in a targeted consultation.
The targeted consultation will run between Friday 1 September and 23:59 on Monday 2 October 2023.
Persons with interest in the land (PILs) affected by the proposed changes have been notified of the targeted consultation directly by letter. This includes PILs who have been newly identified following the proposed changes, as well as PILs who were previously contacted at statutory consultation and whose land is also affected by the changes. If you were contacted at statutory consultation and have not received a targeted consultation letter, your land interest is not considered to be affected by these proposed changes.
Newly identified PILs have also been asked to provide feedback on the Scheme as a whole, as consulted on during the statutory consultation. The consultation materials for the statutory consultation can also be found in the documentation library.
We have also contacted selected stakeholders such as relevant Parish Councils, Local Authorities and statutory organisations to provide them with an opportunity to comment on the proposed changes. We are encouraging PILs who received a targeted consultation letter, or other bodies who received a targeted consultation email, to respond either via email, letter or in the case of new PILS only, by using the feedback form they received in the post.
Email: eastyorkshiresolarfarm@boom-power.co.uk
Post: FREEPOST East Yorkshire Solar Farm
Enquiries in relation to the consultation during the consultation period should be directed to the project team on 01964 782219 (you can speak to someone from Monday to Friday 9am until 5pm or leave a voicemail at anytime or via the project email address as stated above.
If you need other more accessible formats of the consultation materials such as braille, please contact us as soon as possible.
Statutory Consultation (Closed)
The consultation period is now closed
We presented our initial proposals at the non-statutory consultation in October 2022 and sought the views of the community and stakeholders. We used the feedback from the consultation to help update our designs.
We are now launching a statutory consultation, as required by the Planning Act 2008, and presenting more detailed plans of how East Yorkshire Solar Farm will be constructed and operated.
We want to hear from the local community, groups, businesses, and stakeholders. We will consider your thoughts and ideas, and where practicable, incorporate them into the final design. Your input is important to us, and all responses received during the consultation period will be considered.
We held four consultation events at venues across the local area. These were drop-in sessions where you could meet members of the project team, view information and plans, and ask any questions you had. Thank you to everyone who attended.
We understand that not everyone was able to come to an event in person. Therefore, we held two webinars. Thank you to everyone who tuned in.
You Said. We did.
In October 2022 we introduced our scheme and asked for feedback from local residents, businesses and stakeholders as part of our non-statutory consultation, this consisted of:
- Four weeks from 3 October 2022 to 20 October 2022
- Over 1,200 brochures distributed
- Two in person events
- Two webinars
- 194 consultation responses received
Members of the local community were generous with their time, sharing detailed feedback on our initial proposals. We have taken this feedback and used it to help refine and develop our proposals.
Other topics raised included the condition of local roads relative to the anticipated number of vehicle deliveries needed to construct the solar farm; the potential impact on footpaths; health and safety concerns; comments on the suggestion of using sheep to manage the grass under the panels; comments on potential noise impacts; and suggestions of how to improve the consultation process. All comments provided in the non-statutory consultation responses were taken into consideration in the process of updating our design further.
We are committed to being a good neighbour, therefore our proposed design aims to minimise the impact on the landscape, wildlife, the local community and all who enjoy this beautiful corner of East Yorkshire.
A total land area of 1,445 hectares (3,570 acres) has been identified for the Scheme, however not all the land will be used for solar PV panels and associated equipment.
Whilst the total land area has increased since our first consultation, this increase has allowed us to sensitively design the buffer zones to include environmental mitigation in the form of separation buffers, planting and screening to retain and enhance the rural nature and the views of local area. The increase in land area also gives us flexibility to address through design any flood risk and archaeological issues that we might encounter, and which are still being investigated.
Buffer zones and screening planting have been integrated into the site layout to provide separation between the nearest properties and the solar farm.
Existing hedgerows will be retained to act as site boundaries, and where appropriate additional environmental screening will be provided through planting of native shrubs and trees.
In our non-statutory consultation, we stated that panels could be up to 4.8 m in height as that was the height of the largest solar PV panel array in production at the time.
Our design has evolved, and we have chosen to use tracker PV panels, which move to follow the sun through the day and therefore are more effective as they capture as much sunlight as possible. At maximum tilt, the top of the tracker panel will be 3.5 m high, and only reach this height for a short time each day (first thing in the morning and last thing in the evening). For the majority of the day, they will be lower than 3.5 m in height.
At night, the panels are stored horizontally, at a height of approximately 2.3 m.
We have designed the solar farm so there will be a minimum buffer zone of at least 20 m between the centreline of the public rights of way and the boundary fencing where the panels are both sides of the public right of way, and 15 m where the panels are on one side. Any fencing installed along public rights of way will be a clear mesh, maintaining uninterrupted views.
Our proposal includes the creation of new permissive paths which will increase access options, enhancing connectivity and maintaining views of the local landscape.
Agricultural Land Classification (ALC) is a system used to grade the quality of land for agricultural farming, with grade 1 being the very best through to grade 5 being very poor agricultural land. The majority of the land in this area as mapped by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) is grade 4 (poor quality), with a few smaller areas falling into grades 2 (very good quality) and 3 (good to moderate quality).
Mapping by Defra shows the provisional land classification, however we have employed industry specialists to carry out soil sampling throughout the identified land and map the ALC grade distribution throughout the solar PV site more accurately. Based on the results, we have refined our proposals to avoid placing any ‘hard-standing’ or fixed structures on higher grade land where possible.
We have designed the solar farm to protect habitats and minimise the environmental impact. Specifically, our design introduces three types of wildlife habitats:
- Grassland habitat zones – sensitive planting of native grasses will enhance existing grasslands, protecting and enhancing habitats for animals, insects and birds.
- Woodland habitat zones – sensitive planting of native trees and shrubs will be used to complement existing woodland, enhance existing hedgerows and provide screening.
- A zone in the eastern part of the proposed site adjacent to the River Foulness will be designated as a new Wetland Wildlife Zone. There will be no solar panels on this area, rather it will be planted to create a wetland habitat for ground nesting birds and other species. New permissive paths up to the Wetland Wildlife Zone will allow walkers to observe birds at a distance without disturbing their nesting, and subject to DCO consent a dedicated bird watching spot will be set up.
Proposal
For a Greener Tomorrow.
The boundary shown on the proposed site map (below) illustrates all the land that may form East Yorkshire Solar Farm covering a total proposed land area of 1,277 hectares, the land within the operational solar farm would total 966 hectares.
Not all land within the boundary will be developed. Some will be set aside as buffer zones from the field edge to the nearest panels. Some areas will be set aside for environmental mitigation, including planting and creation of wildlife habitats. Existing public rights of way in these fields will be preserved. Existing trees and hedgerows will be used to provide visual screening and maintain ecological habitats. This will be further improved by allowing hedgerows to grow taller and by planting new hedgerows, shrubs and trees.
A derelict building at Johnson’s Farm will be redeveloped so that it can provide an operations and maintenance office. The existing barns in this area will be kept and used as stores for maintenance operations throughout the lifetime of the solar farm.
Not all land within the boundary will be developed. Some will be set aside as buffer zones from the field edge to the nearest panels. Some areas will be set aside for environmental mitigation, including planting and creation of wildlife habitats. Existing public rights of way in these fields will be preserved, with spaces of at least fifteen metres (m) between the centre of the paths and the solar farm fences. Solar panels will be located a further five metres from the fence into the fields. Existing trees and hedgerows will be used to provide visual screening and maintain ecological habitats. This will be further improved by allowing hedgerows to grow taller and by planting new hedgerows, shrubs and trees.
A derelict building at Johnson’s Farm will be redeveloped so that it can provide an operations and maintenance office. The existing barns in this area will be kept and used as stores for maintenance operations throughout the lifetime of the solar farm.
Proposed Site Map.
LOCATION – why here?
HARVESTING ENERGY IN BALANCE WITH NATURE.
Land Availability & Quality.
LAND AVAILABILITY
Local landowners have expressed an interest in leasing sections of their land to Boom Power for use in the solar farm.
LAND QUALITY
Most of the agricultural land within the East Riding of Yorkshire and the former District of Selby is classed as higher quality land known as best and most versatile (BMV). However, we have located the solar farm on land which is mostly (more than three-quarters) lower quality agricultural land known as non-BMV.
Grid Connection.
Accessibility.
Environmental Considerations.
Sunlight & Topography.
Agricultural Use.
CONSTRUCTION & OPERATION
BUILDING CLIMATE RESILIENCE.
HOW WILL THE SOLAR FARM BE BUILT?
Most of the construction work will consist of putting up a simple metal frame to which the solar PV panels will be attached. A site will be first fenced off, then metal poles will be driven into the ground using a post driver. The metal frame will be attached to the poles, and the solar PV panels will be attached to the frame. Inverters could then be mounted to the frame to create the electrical connection to the cables, or they could be centrally located within the field stations.
Separately to the installation of the solar PV panels, we will install the cables, field stations, BESS and the On-Site Substation. Once these are all connected, electricity will be generated by the solar PV panels and will flow into the National Grid or be stored in the BESS.
HOW WILL EVERYTHING BE TRANSPORTED DURING CONSTRUCTION?
Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) will bring most construction materials to the Solar PV, with tractors and trailers used to bring materials to the Grid Connection Corridor construction compounds. All HGVs will travel via the A19, then along Moss Road before accessing the Solar PV construction compound. There will be a maximum of five Abnormal Indivisible Loads (AILs) for delivery of the substation transformers. From the compounds, tractors and trailers will be used to cross fields rather than roads to distribute these materials to their specific site.
Different stages of construction will need different numbers of HGV deliveries. The routes to be used and timings for deliveries and staff will be set out in a Construction Traffic Management Plan. The Framework Construction Traffic Management Plan will be submitted with the DCO application. A road condition survey will be carried out on local roads identified ahead of construction starting. Where necessary, these roads will be repaired to the same or better standard once the solar farm is complete. Where new passing places are installed so that existing traffic can continue to move clearly, they will be left in place for the long-term benefit of the community. You can find out more about construction and operational traffic in the PEIR Volume I Chapter 13: Transport and Access.
HOW LONG WILL THE SOLAR FARM TAKE TO BUILD?
We anticipate that construction of the Grid Connection Cables will last for around 12 months, and the Solar PV Site (including on-site substation and BESS) will take approximately 24 months. The construction will be phased across the site, so we will not work in all areas at once during this period.
WILL PUBLIC RIGHTS OF WAY BE AFFECTED?
No Public Rights of Way (PRoW) will be permanently closed up as a result of our works on the Scheme. The footpath Public Right of Way Sykehouse 29, which runs immediately south of Bunfold Shaw, will however be permanently diverted. The diversion will run approximately 50 m south of the existing PRoW, through the same field during the construction and operation and maintenance phases. The permanent diversion will follow the path that we understand residents typically use. Consultation carried out with local residents during the previous round of consultation, as well as engagement carried out with the council, confirmed that most users of the PRoW do not currently follow the existing mapped route, and instead follow the route which is designed as the permanent diversion for the Scheme. The routes of some PRoW may be slightly altered for a short time while we install cables across these paths, however no PRoW will be permanently closed.
WHAT ONGOING MAINTENANCE WILL BE NEEDED?
Once the solar farm is constructed and fully commissioned, the operational phase will begin. The design life of the Scheme is 40 years from the final commissioning, and is currently anticipated to be 2030 to 2070. In general, operation and maintenance of the solar farm will involve vegetation management, regular inspection of the fences, and monitoring of the operational equipment to ensure the continued effective operation of the Scheme. CCTV will be mounted inside of the perimeter fences on separate poles, which will face along the fence and inwards only. In the UK climate, Solar PV Panels are largely self-cleaning. Some sites can operate without the need to be cleaned, whereas some sites require cleaning every two years. Where additional cleaning is needed this will be done with a large water brush, similar to the kind found in many car washes, mounted on a tractor.
Future Evolution
At the end of the solar farm’s life, equipment will be removed, and the field can return to arable agricultural use. The PV panels will be recycled, and the poles pulled out of the ground, returning the land to the same state as it is currently. The land will retain greenfield status which will protect it from other forms of development.
None of us know what the need for electricity will be in the future, or how much of this will need to come from solar or other low-carbon sources. It is also impossible to say if the same planning processes will be in place. However, under the current planning legislation, if anyone wants to build a new solar farm on the same land, a new application will need to be submitted.
A Decommissioning Environmental Management Plan (DEMP) will be created before the decommissioning process begins. East Yorkshire Solar Farm is required to place money into a Decommissioning Bond. This is a financial product that will guarantee the funds for removal of the solar farm at the end of its life. We estimate that the decommissioning period will take between 12 and 24 months. On decommissioning, we are committed to recycling everything than can be recycled. At the current time, we estimate this to be at least 95% of all the material used in the solar farm.
Grid Connection & Interconnecting Cable Route
Together we are powerful
When you turn on an electrical device at home, it isn’t possible to say where that electricity has come from as the transmission networks are all interlinked. To get the electricity generated at the solar farm to homes and businesses, we need to connect to the National Grid transmission network which supplies electricity to where the demand is required, locally or nationally.
The solar farm will connect to the National Grid substation at Drax where it joins the National Grid transmission network. This connection will be via an underground cable, which will be installed within the corridor indicated in the proposed site map.
The smaller cables between the field stations and the grid connection substations will be buried up to 1.4 m deep, in a trench that will be of varying widths depending upon how many circuits are in it, typically starting at 0.8 m wide. The cables, which will go from the grid connection substations to the National Grid substation at Drax, will be approximately 1.4 m deep, depending on other utilities in the area, and in a trench approximately 1.5 m wide. Horizontal directional drilling will be used to place cable ducts under the River Derwent, the River Ouse and the Hull to Selby Railway so that the cable can pass under these without any need for overhead pylons. The routes of some public rights of way may be slightly altered for a short time while we install cables across their paths, with the exception of Featherbed Lane which will have the cable installed under it using horizontal directional drilling so that it does not need to be closed. The public rights of way along the rivers Ouse and Derwent will also be unaffected.
WHAT IS HORIZONTAL DIRECTIONAL DRILLING?
First used in the 1920s, this is a method of installing cables underground by drilling beneath obstacles. This is used routinely in construction to avoid features such as rivers, busy roads or buried infrastructure. We will use this method for installing the cables under the rivers, railway and Featherbed Lane. A drill will go to into the earth and bend the line it takes so that it passes completely under the obstacle and comes out the other side. A duct is then installed which will be used for the cables.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS & MITIGATION
NET ZERO BY 2050.
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a process to systematically analyse the potential environmental effects of the Scheme and develop effective mitigation measures. Our preliminary findings and mitigation proposals are detailed in the Preliminary Environmental Information (PEI) Report which forms part of this statutory consultation. Key topics where we identified the potential for significant effects, and mitigation measures are shown in the table below. You can find more information on the environmental impacts and proposed mitigations in the PEI Report Non-Technical Summary or the specific chapters of the PEI Report found within the documentation library.
Our preliminary EIA has identified no significant negative impacts once mitigation has been applied in the following areas:
- Air quality
- Climate change
- Cultural heritage
- Flood risk, drainage and water environment
- Socio-economics and land use
- Human health
- Glint and glare
- Ground conditions
- Major accidents or disasters
- Telecommunications, television reception and utilities
- Materials and waste
- Electromagnetic fields
Climate change
The overall impact of the solar farm is expected to be significantly beneficial as it will produce low-carbon electricity, helping the UK achieve its target of net zero by 2050 by removing dependency on gas fired power stations. Greenhouse gas emissions resulting from constructing the solar farm due to material mining, energy and fuel use, and transport, are small compared to the benefits the solar farm will bring.
Future climate conditions will be taken into account when developing the detailed design of the solar farm.
For the past year we have been and are continuing to carry out field surveys and desktop studies to understand the local ecology and design the solar farm with the aim to protect and enhance biodiversity. Protective buffers around the natural features like hedgerows, individual trees, woodland, ponds, and watercourses have been incorporated into the site design.
We propose to create a Wetland Wildlife Zone adjacent to the River Foulness to provide an area of undisturbed habitat, particularly for birds. To avoid impacts, horizontal directional drilling will be used to lay the cables under significant watercourses (currently identified as the River Ouse, River Derwent, and Featherbed Drain). Any disturbance of protected species and off-site biodiversity will be managed and prevented through various measures included within a Landscape and Ecology Management Plan, as well as through environmental management plans for each stage of the solar farm’s life (construction, operation and decommissioning).
Due to the combination of factors such as converting the land from arable agriculture into grassland under the solar panels, enhancement planting and setting aside buffers and Wetland Wildlife Zone, the solar farm will result in a biodiversity net gain which will likely be far greater than the statutory minimum of 10%. Other solar NSIPs have achieved over 70% biodiversity net gain, for example.
Buffer zones and screening planting have been integrated into the site layout to provide separation between the nearest properties and the solar farm.
Existing hedgerows will be retained to act as site boundaries, and where appropriate additional environmental screening will be provided through planting of native shrubs and trees.
Climate change
The overall impact of the solar farm is expected to be significantly beneficial as it will produce low-carbon electricity, helping the UK achieve its target of net zero by 2050 by removing dependency on gas fired power stations. Greenhouse gas emissions resulting from constructing the solar farm due to material mining, energy and fuel use, and transport, are small compared to the benefits the solar farm will bring.
Future climate conditions will be taken into account when developing the detailed design of the solar farm.
For the past year we have been and are continuing to carry out field surveys and desktop studies to understand the local ecology and design the solar farm with the aim to protect and enhance biodiversity. Protective buffers around the natural features like hedgerows, individual trees, woodland, ponds, and watercourses have been incorporated into the site design.
We propose to create a Wetland Wildlife Zone adjacent to the River Foulness to provide an area of undisturbed habitat, particularly for birds. To avoid impacts, horizontal directional drilling will be used to lay the cables under significant watercourses (currently identified as the River Ouse, River Derwent, and Featherbed Drain). Any disturbance of protected species and off-site biodiversity will be managed and prevented through various measures included within a Landscape and Ecology Management Plan, as well as through environmental management plans for each stage of the solar farm’s life (construction, operation and decommissioning).
Due to the combination of factors such as converting the land from arable agriculture into grassland under the solar panels, enhancement planting and setting aside buffers and Wetland Wildlife Zone, the solar farm will result in a biodiversity net gain which will likely be far greater than the statutory minimum of 10%. Other solar NSIPs have achieved over 70% biodiversity net gain, for example.
Landscape and views
Chapter 10: Landscape and Visual Amenity, PEI Report Volume 2
One of the goals of the solar farm design is to sympathetically integrate it into the local landscape. Additional planting will complement the existing hedgerows and trees to screen the PV panels and electrical equipment from view. Buffers have been set aside along the public rights of way and areas where it is important to preserve the sense of the openness of the landscape.
During the construction and the first few years of operation there will be significant effects on visual amenity at several viewpoints, until the proposed planting and screening measures are fully established.
Glint and glare will be minimised by using anti-reflective coating on the PV panels. Together with the screening planting glint and glare impacts are unlikely.
Agricultural land
Chapter 15: Soils and Agricultural Land, PEI Report Volume 2
The site for the solar farm has been selected and designed to minimise the impacts on BMV agricultural land; and research and field surveys confirm that the majority of the land is non-BMV.
The soil beneath the solar panels does not need to be lifted to install the panels so the soil profile will not be disturbed. The physical footprint of the solar farm components which require foundations or hardstanding, such as field stations, grid connection substations and access tracks, makes up a small proportion of the solar farm area, which means the soil disturbance will be minimal.
During operation the land under the PV panels across the majority of the solar farm will be available for agriculture in the form of sheep grazing.
The change from arable agriculture to grassland is temporary as the land can be returned to arable farming upon decommissioning of the solar farm. The temporary shift from arable to grassland is predicted to result in positive changes to soil structure and soil carbon content. The change of agricultural land into wildlife habitat is likely to lead to significant benefits to ecology.
The land within cable corridors will be reinstated after construction and will return to its original condition and use
The design of the solar farm will take account of the flood risk in the area.
No solar farm infrastructure will be placed in the areas of highest flood risk, and the heights of PV panels and equipment foundations will be enough to avoid them being affected by flooding.
The solar farm itself will not alter the drainage and will not worsen the flood risk in the area.
Traffic, access to open space and active travel
The main impact on traffic and transport is likely to be from staff vehicles and HGVs during construction.
To address this, the routes to be used and timings for deliveries and staff will be defined in a Construction Traffic Management Plan (CTMP) before construction begins, and this will be a requirement for construction staff. Minibus services will be set up to transport staff to the site helping to reduce vehicle trips on the surrounding highway network. The public right of way (PRoW) network will remain open during construction. Permissive paths will further enhance the current PRoW network during the operation of the solar farm.
As the operational solar farm requires little maintenance there will be limited traffic during operation. Permissive paths will further enhance the current PRoW network.
Noise and vibration
Measures like careful positioning of noisy machinery away from residential properties, regular noise monitoring, notifying local residents of any noisy works and adhering to the agreed working hours will help reduce the noise effects on the local residents during construction.
Noise modelling results suggest that the operational solar farm will not significantly change the noise baseline for the local residential receptors. This is achieved by locating the electrical equipment such as grid connection substations and field stations away from receptors.
Cultural heritage
The location and the layout of the solar farm avoids significant impacts on designated cultural heritage assets and their settings, such as scheduled monuments, listed buildings and conservation areas, and on non-designated assets, such as historic buildings and landscape, and archaeological remains.
Archaeological surveys are ongoing. The results of field surveys will identify the location of buried archaeological remains and allow the solar farm to be designed around them. Where avoiding archaeology is not possible, appropriate archaeological mitigation, such as excavation, will be undertaken to ensure remains are fully understood and recorded.
COMPONENTS OF A SOLAR FARM
HARNESSING THE SUN.
SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC (PV) PANELS
Solar PV panels are made up of multiple PV cells which convert sunlight into Direct Current (DC) electricity. Fixed south facing panels are proposed at the Scheme.
INVERTERS
Inverters are used to convert the DC electricity generated from the solar PV panels into Alternating Current (AC) – the type of electricity we use in our homes. AC is used for the transmission and distribution networks across the UK.
TRANSFORMERS
Transformers change the voltage of the electricity generated which makes it more efficient to move over longer distances. The transformers ensure that the voltage of the energy generated is matched to the voltage of the National Grid for transmission and distribution around the UK.
SWITCHGEAR
The switchgear allows the electrical components to be de-energised and isolated automatically by the protection systems or operated manually to allow for safe routine maintenance.
BATTERIES
Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) are an industry standard system for storing excess electricity generated by the solar farm or available in the grid. Stored electricity can be released to meet peak energy demands. BESS components are typically housed in shipping container-style units.
FIELD STATIONS
Equipment such as inverters, transformers and switchgear, typically housed in standard shipping containers, will be grouped together within areas called field stations.
ON-SITE SUBSTATION
Substations are used to safely collect, transform and transmit the energy exported from the site to the National Electricity Transmission System (NETS).
National Electricity Transmission System
BENEFITS
DIVERSIFY FARMING.
We are exploring an option to use the land under the solar panels for sheep grazing and have designed the solar farm to make this possible. Sheep grazing can help to maintain the land in agricultural use and help to diversify farming in the area adding much needed security for farmers during challenging economic times.
Compared to arable farming, solar farms can result in a biodiversity net gain by providing an overall increase in natural habitat and ecological features. Whilst there is an initial change to the countryside, the operational solar farm will fast become a haven for wildlife. In addition to woodland and species diverse grassland we are proposing a Wetland Wildlife Zone with a bird viewing facility.
The Scheme proposes two permissive paths reinforcing the existing public rights of way in the local area. These paths, which may also include bridleway, will increase local accessibility and connectivity and provide circular routes for local walkers and horse riders to use. Existing rights of way within the solar farm will be retained with large buffers to separate users from solar infrastructure.
The construction of the solar farm will present opportunities for local employment and will indirectly support local businesses such as shops, petrol stations and hotels. We want local people to share in the benefits that the solar farm can bring. The electricity generated will go directly into the National Grid, so cannot be used to directly reduce bills for local people. However, a proportion of the expected money made by the solar farm will be invested into the local community. We are exploring the use of a community benefit fund, and our aim would be to work with local organisations that will best spend the money to support the community. You can help identify potential recipients for this by letting us know of local causes and organisations as part of your response to this consultation.
DEVELOPMENT CONSENT ORDER (dco) PROCESS
SHAPING THE FUTURE.
As the electricity generating capacity of the Scheme is greater than 50 MW, it is classified as an NSIP. NSIPs are large infrastructure developments which are considered important to the entire country and require consent by way of a DCO for them to be built.
Unlike local planning applications, which are considered by local authorities, DCO applications are made to the Secretary of State and handled by the Planning Inspectorate. In the case of a solar farm, the final decision on a DCO application is made by the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero. The post submission timeline is shown to the right.
Local Authorities are among the many bodies invited to respond to the consultation on the DCO application, along with environmental and heritage bodies and the local community and stakeholders. Feedback from this consultation will be documented in the Consultation Report, along with details on how we have had regard to that feedback, which will be submitted with our DCO application.
We plan to submit our DCO application later in 2024, following consideration of all responses to this consultation. Once the application has been submitted the Planning Inspectorate have 28 days to decide if the application meets the standards required to be accepted for examination. The Planning Inspectorate will then appoint an Examining Authority, and the Pre-examination period takes place to enable all parties to plan and prepare for the examination.
The examination will take a maximum of six months. The Planning Inspectorate will then have three months to prepare a recommendation to the Secretary of State who then has a further three months to make the decision on whether to grant or refuse the DCO.
If our DCO application is accepted for examination, you can register directly with the Planning Inspectorate to become an Interested Party. During examination the Planning Inspectorate will keep Interested Parties informed about the progress of our application, and how they can get involved in the examination.
HAVE YOUR SAY
YOUR OPINION MATTERS.
HAVE YOUR SAY: TARGETED CONSULTATION (CLOSED).
The targeted consultation will run between Friday 1 September and 23:59 on Monday 2 October 2023.
Newly identified Persons with Interest in the Land (PILs) have been asked to provide feedback on the Scheme as a whole, as consulted on during the statutory consultation. The consultation materials for the statutory consultation can also be found in the documentation library.
We have also contacted selected stakeholders such as relevant Parish Councils, Local Authorities and statutory organisations to provide them with an opportunity to comment on the proposed changes. We are encouraging PILs who received a targeted consultation letter, or other bodies who received a targeted consultation email, to respond either via email, letter or in the case of new PILS only, by using the feedback form they received in the post.
Email: eastyorkshiresolarfarm@boom-power.co.uk
Post: FREEPOST East Yorkshire Solar Farm
Enquiries in relation to the targeted consultation during the consultation period should be directed to the project team on 01964 782219 (you can speak to someone from Monday to Friday 9am until 5pm or leave a voicemail at anytime) or via the project email address as stated above.
If you need other more accessible formats of the consultation materials such as braille, please contact us as soon as possible.
HAVE YOUR SAY: STATUTORY CONSULTATION (CLOSED).
You can share your thoughts by:
- Completing the online feedback form
- Download the online feedback form from the documentation library below and email it to eastyorkshiresolarfarm@boom-power.co.uk
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- Complete at one of our consultation events
The consultation closes at 11:59pm on Tuesday 20 June 2023. All responses received before this will be considered and summarised in our consultation report. Responses received after this time may not be considered.
The consultation has now closed. All consultation responses will be considered, and our consultation report will be available later this year.
East Yorkshire SOLAR FARM
Documentation Library.
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All documents are in a PDF format.
Section 56
Development Consent Order Application Acceptance
Development Consent Order Application
PROJECT UPDATE
The application for the East Yorkshire Solar Farm Development Consent Order (DCO) has been accepted and is in examination by the Planning Inspectorate (PINS) on behalf of the Secretary of State.
Targeted Consultation
Statutory Consultation: Overview
Statutory Consultation: Volume 1: Preliminary Environment Information Report - Non Technical Summary
Statutory Consultation: Volume 2: Main Preliminary Environment Information Report
- PEIR EYSF 001 Volume 2 TOC Glossary
- PEIR EYSF Chapter 01 Introduction
- PEIR EYSF Chapter 02 The Scheme
- PEIR EYSF Chapter 03 Alternatives and Design Evolution
- PEIR EYSF Chapter 04 Consultation and Engagement
- PEIR EYSF Chapter 05 Environmental Impact Assessment Methodology
- PEIR EYSF Chapter 06 Climate Change
- PEIR EYSF Chapter 07 Cultural Heritage
- PEIR EYSF Chapter 08 Ecology
- PEIR EYSF Chapter 09 Flood Risk Drainage and Water Environment
- PEIR EYSF Chapter 10 Landscape and Amenity
- PEIR EYSF Chapter 11 Noise and Vibration
- PEIR EYSF Chapter 12 Socio-Economics and Land Use
- PEIR EYSF Chapter 13 Transport and Access
- PEIR EYSF Chapter 14 Human Health
- PEIR EYSF Chapter 15 Soils and Agricultural Land
- PEIR EYSF Chapter 16 Other Environmental Topics
- PEIR EYSF Chapter 17 Cumulative Effects and Interactions
- PEIR EYSF Chapter 18 Summary of Effects
Statutory Consultation: Volume 3: Figures
- PEIR EYSF Figure 01-01 Scheme Location
- PEIR EYSF Figure 01-02 Site Boundary Plan
- PEIR EYSF Figure 01-03 Elements of the Site
- PEIR EYSF Figure 02-01 Environmental and Planning Constraints
- PEIR EYSF Figure 02-02 Public Right sof Way
- PEIR EYSF Figure 02-03 Indicative Site Layout
- PEIR EYSF Figure 03-01 EIA Scoping and Non-Statutory Consultation Boundary
- PEIR EYSF Figure 03-02 Alternative Route for Cable Corridor at Brackenholme
- PEIR EYSF Figure 04-01 Mailing Zone For Non-Statutory Consultation
- PEIR EYSF Figure 04-02 Mailing Zone for Statutory Consultation
- PEIR EYSF Figure 04-03 Locations of the Statutory Consultation Events
- PEIR EYSF Figure 04-04 Map of Document Inspection Venues
- PEIR EYSF Figure 07-01 Location of Designated Heritage Assets
- PEIR EYSF Figure 07-02 Non-Designated Heritage Assets
- PEIR EYSF Figure 07-03 Location of Archaeological Events
- PEIR EYSF Figure 07-04 Historic Landscape Characterisation
- PEIR EYSF Figure 08-01 Designated Sites
- PEIR EYSF Figure 08-02 Non-Statutory Sites Designated for Nature Conservation within 2km
- PEIR EYSF Figure 08-03 Phase 1 Habitats Legend and Overview Map
- PEIR EYSF Figure 09-01 Surface Water Features and their Attributes
- PEIR EYSF Figure 09-02 Drain Names
- PEIR EYSF Figure 09-03 Ground Water Features and their Attributes
- PEIR EYSF Figure 09-04 Fluvial Flood Risk
- PEIR EYSF Figure 09-05 Surface Water Flood Risk
- PEIR EYSF Figure 09-06 Lower River Derwent Model Nodes
- PEIR EYSF Figure 09-07 Upper Humber Model Nodes for the River Ouse
- PEIR EYSF Figure 10-01 Study Area
- PEIR EYSF Figure 10-02 National and Regional Landscape Character Areas
- PEIR EYSF Figure 10-03 Local Landscape Character Areas
- PEIR EYSF Figure 10-04 Landscape and Zone of Theoretical Visibility Panels at Height 3.5m
- PEIR EYSF Figure 10-05 Zone of Theoretical Visibility Solar PV Area
- PEIR EYSF Figure 10-06 Zone of Theoretical Visibility – Substations
- PEIR EYSF Figure 10-07 Potential Representative Viewpoint Locations
- PEIR EYSF Figure 10-08 Representative ViewpointLocations
- PEIR EYSF Figure 10-09 Viewpoint Photography Viewpoint 1
- PEIR EYSF Figure 10-10 Viewpoint Photography Viewpoint 2
- PEIR EYSF Figure 10-11 Viewpoint Photography Viewpoint 3
- PEIR EYSF Figure 10-12 Viewpoint Photography Viewpoint 4
- PEIR EYSF Figure 10-13 Viewpoint Photography Viewpoint 5
- PEIR EYSF Figure 10-14 Viewpoint Photography Viewpoint 6
- PEIR EYSF Figure 10-15 Viewpoint Photography Viewpoint 7
- PEIR EYSF Figure 10-16 Viewpoint Photography Viewpoint 8
- PEIR EYSF Figure 10-17 Viewpoint Photography Viewpoint 9
- PEIR EYSF Figure 10-18 Viewpoint Photography Viewpoint 10a
- PEIR EYSF Figure 10-19 Viewpoint Photography Viewpoint 10b
- PEIR EYSF Figure 10-20 Viewpoint Photography Viewpoint 11
- PEIR EYSF Figure 10-21 Viewpoint Photography Viewpoint 12a
- PEIR EYSF Figure 10-22 Viewpoint Photography Viewpoint 12b
- PEIR EYSF Figure 10-23 Viewpoint Photography Viewpoint 13
- PEIR EYSF Figure 10-24 Viewpoint Photography Viewpoint 145
- PEIR EYSF Figure 10-25 Viewpoint Photography Viewpoint 15
- PEIR EYSF Figure 10-26 Viewpoint Photography Viewpoint 16
- PEIR EYSF Figure 10-27 Viewpoint Photography Viewpoint 17
- PEIR EYSF Figure 10-28 Viewpoint Photography Viewpoint 18
- PEIR EYSF Figure 10-29 Viewpoint Photography Viewpoint 19
- PEIR EYSF Figure 10-30 Viewpoint Photography Viewpoint 20
- PEIR EYSF Figure 10-31 Viewpoint Photography Viewpoint 21
- PEIR EYSF Figure 10-32 Viewpoint Photography Viewpoint 22
- PEIR EYSF Figure 10-33 Viewpoint Photography Viewpoint 23
- PEIR EYSF Figure 10-34 Viewpoint Photography Viewpoint 24
- PEIR EYSF Figure 10-35 Viewpoint Photography Viewpoint 25
- PEIR EYSF Figure 10-36 Viewpoint Photography Viewpoint 26
- PEIR EYSF Figure 10-37 Viewpoint Photography Viewpoint 27
- PEIR EYSF Figure 11-01 Baseline Monitoring and Sensitive Receptor Locations
- PEIR EYSF Figure 11-02 Operational Noise Contours
- PEIR EYSF Figure 12-01 Study Area and Socio-economic Receptors Map
- PEIR EYSF Figure 12-02 60-minute Drive Time from Site Boundary
- PEIR EYSF Figure 12-03 30-minute Drive Time from Site Boundary
- PEIR EYSF Figure 13-01 Study Area
- PEIR EYSF Figure 13-02 Traffic Survey Locations
- PEIR EYSF Figure 13-03 Indicative HGV Routeing
- PEIR EYSF Figure 13-04 Roads to Access Site
- PEIR EYSF Figure 14-01 Human Health Study Area Wards
- PEIR EYSF Figure 15-01 Provisional and Post-1988 Agricultural Land Classification
- PEIR EYSF Figure 15-02 Predictive Agricultural Land Classification
- PEIR EYSF Figure 15-03 Reconnaissance Agricultural Land Classification Survey for the Solar PV Site
- PEIR EYSF Figure 15-04 Soil Associations
- PEIR EYSF Figure 16-01 Dust Risk Assessment Zones
- PEIR EYSF Figure 16-02 Authorised and Historic Landfills Permitted Waste Sites and Waste Site Applications
- PEIR EYSF Figure 17-01 Zones of Influence – Development
- PEIR EYSF Figure 17-02 Zones of Influence – Construction
Statutory Consultation: Volume 4: Appendices
- PEIR EYSF 001 Volume 4 Appendices TOC
- PEIR EYSF Appendix 01-01 EIA Scoping Report
- PEIR EYSF Appendix 01-02 EIA Scoping Opinion
- PEIR EYSF Appendix 01-03 EIA Scoping Opinion Responses
- PEIR EYSF Appendix 02-01 Framework CEMP
- PEIR EYSF Appendix 06-01 Legislation Policy and Guidance (Climate Change)
- PEIR EYSF Appendix 06-02 Climate Change Risk Assessment
- PEIR EYSF Appendix 06-03 ICCI Environmental Technical Disciplinary Risk Assessment
- PEIR EYSF Appendix 07-01 Legislation Policy and Guidance (Cultural Heritage)
- PEIR EYSF Appendix 07-02 Cultural Heritage Desk-based Assessment
- PEIR EYSF Appendix 08-01 Legislation Policy and Guidance (Ecology)
- PEIR EYSF Appendix 08-02 Breeding Bird Survey Report
- PEIR EYSF Appendix 08-03 Phase 1 Habitat Survey Target Notes
- PEIR EYSF Appendix 08-04 Aquatic Ecology Desk Study
- PEIR EYSF Appendix 09-01 Legislation Policy and Guidance (Flood Drainage Water)
- PEIR EYSF Appendix 09-02 WFD Screening
- PEIR EYSF Appendix 09-03 Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment
- PEIR EYSF Appendix 10-01 Legislation Policy and Guidance (Landscape and Visual Amenity)
- PEIR EYSF Appendix 10-02 Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment Methodology
- PEIR EYSF Appendix 10-03 Landscape Character
- PEIR EYSF Appendix 10-04 Potential Representative Viewpoints
- PEIR EYSF Appendix 11-01 Legislation Policy and Guidance (Noise and Vibration)
- PEIR EYSF Appendix 11-02 Acoustic Terminology
- PEIR EYSF Appendix 11-03 Baseline Noise Survey
- PEIR EYSF Appendix 11-04 Construction and Operational Noise Modelling
- PEIR EYSF Appendix 12-01 Legislation Policy and Guidance (Socio-ec and Land Use)
- PEIR EYSF Appendix 12-02 Communication with Mineral Planning Authorities
- PEIR EYSF Appendix 13-01 Legislation Policy and Guidance (Transport and Access)
- PEIR EYSF Appendix 13-02 Traffic Flow Diagrams
- PEIR EYSF Appendix 13-03 Communications with the Local Highways Authorities
- PEIR EYSF Appendix 14-01 Legislation Policy and Guidance (Human Health)
- PEIR EYSF Appendix 15-01 Legislation Policy and Guidance (Soils and Agricultural Land)
- PEIR EYSF Appendix 15-02 Predictive Agricultural Land Classification Map
- PEIR EYSF Appendix 15-03 Soil and Agricultural Land Classification Survey Report
Statutory Consultation: Photomontages
- EYSF VP 06 (90 deg) Existing
- EYSF VP 06 (90 deg) Proposed year 1 2023 04 19
- EYSF VP 06 (90 deg) Proposed year 15 2023 04 19
- EYSF VP 10 (90 deg) Existing
- EYSF VP 10 (90 deg) Proposed year 1 2023 04 19
- EYSF VP 10 (90 deg) Proposed year 15 2023 04 19
- EYSF VP 11 (90 deg) Existing
- EYSF VP 11 (90 deg) Proposed year 1 2023 04 19
- EYSF VP 11 (90 deg) Proposed year 15 2023 04 19
- EYSF VP 12 (90 deg) Existing
- EYSF VP 12 (90 deg) Proposed year 1 2023 04 19
- EYSF VP 12 (90 deg) Proposed year 15 2023 04 19
- Photomontage Text