UK approves 800MW Great North Road solar and battery park in Nottinghamshire

Overview

Updated 2 hours ago

The UK government granted development consent for the Great North Road Solar and Biodiversity Park on October 27, clearing the way for an 800MW solar array and 880MWh battery store near Newark, Nottinghamshire. Developer Elements Green says the scheme will generate about 1.1TWh a year, enough for roughly 400,000 homes.

The decision closes a 16-month review under Britain's nationally significant infrastructure rules, the fast-track path for major energy projects. It makes Great North Road one of the UK's two largest consented solar developments and a test of whether big renewables can be built quickly enough to meet rising electricity demand.

Why it matters

The consent adds 800MW of solar and 880MWh of storage to a UK grid facing rising demand and tighter energy-security priorities.

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Key Indicators

800MW

Maximum generation capacity

Solar array plus battery and grid connection infrastructure.

880MWh

Battery storage capacity

A 440MW, 880MWh battery stores electricity for export when needed.

~400,000

Homes' annual electricity equivalent

Modelled annual generation of about 1.1TWh.

41.7%

Habitat biodiversity net gain

Project commitments also include 64,500 trees and over 50km of new hedgerow.

54%

2024 consultation respondents opposed

Local opposition centered on landscape and farmland impacts.

Voices

Curated perspectives — historical figures and your fellow readers.

People Involved

Baroness Margaret Curran

Minister deciding for the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero

Granted development consent on October 27, 2026

Robert Jenrick

Reform UK MP for Newark

Public opponent of the project

Organizations Involved

Elements Green

Renewable energy developer

Project developer; consent granted

Developer of the Great North Road Solar and Biodiversity Park, with a grid export capacity of up to 800MW AC.

Planning Inspectorate

UK national infrastructure consenting agency

Examined the application and recommended consent

The agency that examined the Great North Road application and advised the Secretary of State.

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

UK government department

Granted development consent

The department that made the final consent decision on the project.

Timeline

June 2025 October 2026

6 events Latest: Yesterday

Tap a bar to jump to that date

October 2026
Development consent granted
Latest Decision

The Secretary of State makes the Development Consent Order, approving the 800MW solar and battery park.
Yesterday
July 2026
Recommendation to Secretary of State
Recommendation

The Examining Authority recommends whether to grant consent, based on evidence gathered in the examination.
July 28th, 2026
April 2026
Examination concludes
Procedural

The Examining Authority closes its examination of the application.
April 28th, 2026
November 2025
Examination begins
Procedural

The six-month public examination starts, hearing evidence from the public, statutory consultees and interested parties.
November 2025
July 2025
Application accepted
Procedural

The Planning Inspectorate accepts the application for examination under the Planning Act 2008.
July 22nd, 2025
June 2025
Application submitted
Filing

Elements Green Trent Limited submits its Development Consent Order application to the Planning Inspectorate.
June 27th, 2025

Scenarios

Judicial review filed, project delayed

Possible Resolves by Dec 8, 2026

Discussed by: BBC News, local opponents

Opponents have a six-week window, closing around December 8, to challenge the consent in the High Court. If a review is filed, planning for construction could stall while the court hears the case, pushing the 2027 start date back.

Construction starts in 2027 as planned

Likely Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: Elements Green

Elements Green says construction is expected to begin in 2027 pending discharge of requirements and final delivery arrangements, with a build period of about 24 months. If no legal challenge materializes, site work should start on schedule.

Great North Road powers up as one of UK's largest solar plants

Possible Resolves by Q2 2029

Discussed by: Elements Green, pv magazine

The plant exports its first electricity in 2028, joining or slightly trailing the Springwell Solar Plant as the UK's largest operating solar farms. Battery storage would let it shift generation to peak demand hours.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

October 2026

Springwell Solar Plant approved (2026)

The UK granted consent for Springwell Solar Plant, another 800MW solar nationally significant infrastructure project in the East of England, in the same approval wave as Great North Road.

Then

Great North Road and Springwell became joint-largest consented UK solar projects.

Now

Both sit on the UK's larger PV pipeline as the country expands co-located solar and storage.

Why this matters now

Springwell is the direct comparison for Great North Road: same scale, same region, same grid-capacity conditions that have drawn many developers to the East of England and triggered widespread public objection.

October 2026

October 2026 co-located solar approvals wave

The UK government approved nearly 2GW of co-located solar projects in a single month, including Great North Road and a separate project by developer Cubico.

Then

A large block of solar and battery capacity moved from proposed to consented.

Now

The month signals a faster consenting pace for large renewables than in earlier years of the decade.

Why this matters now

It shows Great North Road is not an isolated decision but part of a broader push to consent big solar and storage quickly through the national infrastructure process.