Survey suggests opposition to major solar farm

The solar project is made up of around 1.5 million panels covering 7,000 acres

A consultation about a major solar farm in Nottinghamshire has shown the scale of the opposition it faces to being built.

Planned for an area north-west of Newark, the Great North Road Solar Park has the potential to power up to 400,000 homes - the equivalent to all of the homes in the county.

The consultation, held in January and February, found 54% of respondents opposed the scheme, with 16% supporting the current plan.

Among the main reasons people gave for opposing the scheme were its visual and ecological impact.

The plans show a ring of solar panel installations around two villages

The farm would form a ring roughly 10km (6.2 miles) from north to south around the villages of Caunton and Norwell, with the eastern edge alongside the A1.

It would be made up of around 1.5 million panels and cover 7,000 acres - enough space for 4,000 football pitches.

The consultation has been published by developers Elements Green.

About 230 people responded to the survey, with 54.2% saying they were against the project, 26.4% wanting changes to be made in order to support it, and 16.3% saying they backed it.

On the general question of whether people thought ground-based solar panels were needed in the UK, 39% of people agreed, while 48% disagreed.

The survey also suggested the greatest concern of residents was the visual impact of the installation, closely followed by its effect on local ecology and loss of agricultural land.

Ian Harrison, chairman of the Joint Parish Council Action Group, fears the scheme will badly impact the area

Ian Harrison, chairman of the Joint Parish Council Action Group, said: "The concern is the loss of landscape, the loss of the brilliant ecology - I've just been watching a buzzard flying overhead.

"Then there is the flood risk. This area is already prone to flooding.

"And then there is the loss of agricultural food land."

Elements Green said it would use this feedback to "shape a strong set of proposals that are sensitive to and respect the views and recommendations of local communities".

Developers said they had already taken steps to mitigate the visual impact of the panels

Commenting on the report, Mark Noone, the company's head of UK development, said: “This is a nationally significant scheme which takes advantage of the grid connections left over from the big power stations which were here.

"The feedback we received during the first phase of consultation has helped our team to improve our understanding of the local environment and the aspects of Great North Road Solar Park that local communities considered most important for us to prioritise as we further develop our proposals."

A second consultation will begin at the end of the year.

If approval is given by the government, construction is due to start in 2027.

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