Off-grid homeowner opposed to solar farm next door

Richard Gill lives entirely off-grid thanks to solar panels and a wind turbine

An off-grid homeowner is fighting plans for a major new solar project in Nottinghamshire, despite living in a house largely powered by solar panels.

Richard Gill has sent his comments to the current public consultation for the Great North Road Solar Park, planned north west of Newark in Nottinghamshire.

The ring of "solar islands" with energy storage would have the potential to power up to 400,000 homes - enough to provide electricity to all homes in the county.

Developers Elements Green say it is listening to community feedback and have already redrawn some of its plans in response.

Mr Gill, who lives near Caunton, says he objects to the scale of multiple projects in one area.

He has been told his 18th Century farmhouse is one of nine homes, which would be impacted most severely by plans to install 1.5 million panels as part of the 7,000-acre project.

Elements Green has now agreed to move the nearest panels so they are 100 metres further away from his home.

Mr Gill said: "In a scheme of this size I think it's a reasonable accommodation to make, particularly when there's so few houses that are as severely impacted as ours."

But he is still concerned about the outlook from the family home.

"For about a kilometre to our west, all the fields are going to be covered in panels as well, which I think is just a bit excessive," he said.

A map showing proposed solar islands and supporting infrastructure

Mr Gill has a ground-mounted solar array, a six kilowatt wind turbine and 50 kWh of battery storage.

He denies that he is a "Nimby", and called for more solar panels on rooftops in the UK.

But he added: "I think people don't understand the impact it's going to have in Newark and Sherwood.

"The Great North Road solar scheme is equivalent to 10 times the size in panelled area alone of Heathrow Runway 3 and this is just one of a number of schemes that are planned for Newark and Sherwood."

Mr Gill added: "How much should one community be expected to take?"

Residents who live near to the planned solar farm have raised concerns over its visual and ecological impact

The planned solar "islands" project was recently renamed the Great North Road Solar and Biodiversity Park.

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

The plans include an additional 46km of hedgerows, 19 pathways through private land which will be open to the public as well as about 800 acres set aside for "wildlife enhancement".

Developers say they will work in partnership with the Sherwood Forest Trust, the RSPB, the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust and the Trent Rivers Trust.

The project would need the backing of the Planning Inspectorate before it could be constructed as it is considered to be a nationally significant infrastructure project.

'Energy efficiency'

Elements Green is running eight drop-in sessions at venues around the district with specialists on hand to answer recurring questions.

The company says, if approved, the park would support UK energy security and make a significant contribution towards decarbonising the UK by generating clean electricity.

Elements Green executive chairman Mark Turner told the BBC: "We take great pride in the work that we do, in working with the local communities to try to design the project in such a way that it has the least impact.

"We've changed our plans in numerous ways, both in terms of removing panels from certain areas but also adding woodland."

He said the solar panels would be spaced out to allow a "thick mat" of grass to grow to stop water run-off.

Elements Green has also proposed a £1m community support fund with a focus on "the environment, education, food security, wellbeing, and energy efficiency".

Mr Turner said the company would prepare a submission to the Planning Inspectorate later this year before submitting a planning application.

The final decision on the project will be made by Secretary of State for Energy and Net Zero, Ed Miliband.