Island Green Power is in the early stages of developing a new solar farm located to the west and south of Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, and north of Milton Keynes.
After carrying out detailed assessments and introducing our proposals during our early engagement workshops, we are now inviting you to take part in our public consultation. Our consultation is running for six weeks from 7 November until 19 December 2024.
Your feedback is important in helping us to finalise the detailed proposals for our application, which we are expecting to submit to the Planning Inspectorate (PINS) in spring 2025.
About Island Green Power
Island Green Power (IGP) is a leading developer of utility-scale solar projects and battery energy storage systems. We operate in the UK, Spain, Italy, Australia and New Zealand. Our mission is to help countries accelerate the transition from fossil fuels to solar power by making more renewable energy possible, drastically reducing carbon emissions and contributing to global net-zero targets.
Since our launch in 2013, we have successfully delivered over 34 solar projects worldwide that have generated more than 1 GW of energy capacity, with many now owned by the largest solar investors. These include 17 solar projects in the UK and Republic of Ireland. These range in size from below 5 MW to Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIP) such as the Cottam Solar Project, currently the UK’s largest consented solar project. Cottam will generate 600 MW of clean, renewable and secure electricity, while including 600 MW of battery storage that will store and then release energy as needed.
As a developer, we oversee the entire development process, including securing grid connections, sourcing land and obtaining planning consents. This includes consulting with local communities, stakeholders and policymakers as well as technical experts at multiple stages during the development of our projects to ensure they will enhance the biodiversity of the sites.
Find out more by visiting www.islandgp.com
The need for solar
The way we generate and consume energy is already changing. The move towards renewables and the transition away from fossil fuels is an environmental and economic necessity.
To hit our national net zero targets, boosting our solar generation is essential, as set out in the government’s latest energy strategy, Make Britain a clean energy superpower (2024). We need to get large amounts of renewable energy in the system to help ensure energy security and combat climate change – as well as helping reduce people’s energy bills.
Green Hill Solar Farm would provide a maximum power output of 500 MW, providing a substantial source of renewable electricity for the region and country.
Watch our short video with Martin Clunes as he travels around the British countryside to hear from farmers and landowners about the many benefits of solar energy in the UK.
Our proposals for Green Hill
A nationally significant infrastructure project (NSIP) with a maximum power output to the grid of 500 MW (megawatts), equivalent to generating power for approximately 115,000 homes.
The Site areas are approximately 1,200 hectares (ha) of predominantly agricultural land, with approximately 550 ha currently being considered for the solar photovoltaic (PV) panels and associated infrastructure, and approximately 190 ha of dedicated fields currently being considered for environmental mitigation and enhancement. The remaining areas will consist of existing vegetation, field margin buffers, further vegetation planting (around existing features such as watercourses), areas between panels and internal accesses.
Solar PV panels, electrical substations and a battery energy storage system (BESS) across nine sites, referred to as Green Hill A, A.2, B, C, D, E, F, G and Green Hill BESS.
Storage of up to 500 MW in the BESS, available for deployment to the grid when needed. The proposed location of the BESS is Green Hill BESS. Green Hill C is also being considered for the BESS.
Electrical infrastructure such as conversion units, inverters and substations between 33 kV and 400 kV. Two larger 400 kV substations will be located at the Green Hill C and Green Hill BESS Sites. The proposed locations of the 132 kV substations are within Green Hill A, B, E, F and G, and are shown on the Indicative Masterplan. The locations of the remaining smaller substations of 33 kV will be determined as part of the design process following the statutory consultation.
Underground electrical cabling to connect the nine sites, substations and BESS to the National Grid’s Grendon Substation, located to the north-west of the village of Grendon.
The proposed location of the cable corridor is under consideration and will be determined following ongoing environmental assessments, landowner negotiations and consultation input. The Cable Route Search Area shows the extent of the area that the cable corridor could be located within. The underground cables will range in voltage from 11 kV to 400 kV.
Associated infrastructure, mitigation and enhancement measures, and other ancillary works, for example, fencing, security (including CCTV), local grid connections, temporary access roads, permanent means of access, highway works, temporary works compounds and work sites.
Timeline
Map
Detailed area maps
Consultation
The Scheme is a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP), meaning that it must go through the Development Consent Order (DCO) planning process before a final decision by the Secretary of State for Energy and Net Zero. As part of this planning process, we will be conducting the consultation to support our DCO application in two stages.
Stage 1 was the non-statutory consultation, which was held from March to May 2024. This consisted of engagement with community stakeholders and a series of workshops with local councillors and community organisations to refine the early design proposals for Green Hill Solar Farm. Read more about our approach to the non-statutory consultation here and a summary of the early engagement workshop here.
Stage 2 will be a statutory public consultation on the proposals for Green Hill Solar Farm.
The statutory consultation will include a number of public events that will be held at venues local to the proposed sites. Comprehensive information will be available to help people understand more about the project and have an opportunity to share their views.
The comments received during the consultation will be used to inform development of our detailed Scheme design before our application is then submitted to the Planning Inspectorate.
To find out more about the DCO process, please see the Planning Inspectorate website
Consultation by collaboration
We are committed to working with local communities as we develop our proposals for Green Hill Solar Farm.
As part of the non-statutory consultation and our commitment to conduct transparent and effective consultation with local communities, in March and May 2024 we invited local councillors and community organisations to a series of workshops to participate in the early design process.
Collaborating with the local community while we develop our plans will help us better understand local challenges and aspirations. Read more about our approach to the workshops here and a summary of the early engagement workshop here.
Since the early engagement workshops in March and May, we have used the feedback we received to inform the design and site layouts.
The Scheme has evolved to:
- Reduce landscape and visual impacts
- Minimise effects on sensitive receptors, such as residential properties
- Retain existing woodland and hedgerows where possible
- Utilise existing farm tracks where possible for site access
- Include proposals for permissive public paths to connect and enhance existing routes.
The Consultation Information Booklet provides a summary of the proposals. All documents are accessible on the Documents page.
After carrying out detailed assessments and introducing our proposals during our early engagement workshops, we are now inviting you to participate in our public consultation.
Our consultation is running for six weeks from 7 November until 19 December 2024.
How to take part in our public consultation
You can take part in the consultation in the following ways:
Attend a public consultation event
We are holding a series of face-to-face consultation events at publicly accessible venues.
These events offer the opportunity for the public to meet the team, view and discuss our more detailed plans for Green Hill Solar Farm. Those attending will be able to take away printed copies of this Consultation Information Booklet and Consultation Feedback Form.
Details of the in-person events are as follows:
| Date | Time | Location |
| Monday 18 November 2024 | 14:00 – 19:00 | Grendon Village Hall, Main Rd, Grendon, Northampton NN7 1JW |
| Saturday 23 November 2024 | 12:00 – 17:00 | Lavendon Village Hall, 22 High Street, Lavendon, Buckinghamshire MK46 4HA |
| Wednesday 27 November 2024 | 14:00 – 19:00 | Swanspool Pavilion, Swanspool Parade, Wellingborough NN8 9SR |
| Saturday 7 December 2024 | 12:00 – 17:00 | Walgrave Village Hall, 1 Newland Rd, Walgrave, Northampton NN6 9PZ |
We will also be holding three webinar sessions where the project team will provide a short presentation followed by a live question-and-answer session.
You can register for these online events here:
| Date | Time | Location |
| Wednesday 20 November | 18:00 – 19:00 | Webinar – register here |
| Tuesday 26 November | 18:00 – 19:00 | Webinar – register here |
| Wednesday 4 December | 12:30 – 13:30 | Webinar – register here |
Where to find the consultation materials
All documents are available on our Documents page and our feedback form can be completed online.
Alternatively, consultation materials are available to view in person at the local information points. Hard copies of the Consultation Information Booklet and the Consultation Feedback Form will be available to take away from all local information points listed below.
| Venue | Opening times | Materials available to take away | Reference materials |
| Brixworth Library, Spratton Road, Brixworth, Northampton NN6 9DS | Monday to Friday
9:00 – 17:00 |
Consultation Information Booklet
Consultation Feedback Form |
Digital copy
· PEIR · NTS · Statement of Community Consultation |
| Wellingborough Library, 7 Pebble Lane, Wellingborough NN8 1AS | Monday to Friday 9:00 – 18:00Saturday 9:00 – 17:00 |
Consultation Information Booklet
Consultation Feedback Form |
Digital copy
· PEIR · NTS · Statement of Community Consultation |
| Duston Library, Duston Community Centre, Pendle Road, Northampton NN5 6DT | Monday to Friday 9:00 – 17:00Saturdays 10:00 – 14:00 |
Consultation Information Booklet
Consultation Feedback Form |
Digital copy
· PEIR · NTS · Statement of Community Consultation |
| Moulton Community Library, Moulton Community Centre, Sandy Hill, Reedings, Moulton, Northamptonshire. NN3 7AX | Monday to Saturday 9:00 – 17:00Sunday 9:00 – 16:00 (self-service only) |
Consultation Information Booklet
Consultation Feedback Form |
Printed copy
· PEIR · NTS · Statement of Community Consultation |
| Earls Barton Community Library, 27 Broad Street, Earls Barton, Northampton NN6 0ND | Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 14:00-17:00Wednesday 10:00 -13:00 |
Consultation Information Booklet
Consultation Feedback Form |
Digital copy
· PEIR · NTS · Statement of Community Consultation |
| Rothwell Community Library, Market Hill, Rothwell NN14 6EP | Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday 10:00 – 16:00 |
Consultation Information Booklet
Consultation Feedback Form |
Printed copy
· PEIR · NTS · Statement of Community Consultation |
| Milton Keynes Library, 555 Silbury Boulevard, Milton Keynes MK9 3HL | Monday – Friday 9:00 – 18:00Saturday 9:00 – 17:00 |
Consultation Information Booklet
Consultation Feedback Form |
Digital copy
· PEIR · NTS · Statement of Community Consultation |
Digital copies of the PEIR and NTS will be available to view and download electronically (for reference) at each local information point with access to a computer. Please note that, although access to computers at libraries is free, a membership for the library may be required.
Printed copies of the full PEIR and NTS will only be available at locations without access to a computer and the internet to inspect (but not take away).
Copies in other formats, such as braille, are available on request.
Printed copies of the consultation materials are available free of charge, upon request. These are the:
- Consultation Information Booklet
- Consultation Feedback Form
- Consultation Newsletter
- Non-Technical Summary.
A hard copy of the PEIR can be provided on request for a set charge of £750 to cover printing and postage costs.
Documents
Copies of Green Hill Solar Farm documents are available to view and download. If you would like copies of the materials to be sent to you via post or email, please contact the team at info@greenhillsolar.co.uk
Correction on Page 25 of Consultation Information Booklet
On Page 25 of the originally published version of the Consultation Information Booklet, the following statement was included:
“There will also be benefits at a local or district level for species such as bats, brown hare, harvest mouse, hedgehog, polecat, and amphibians during the operational phase.”
This has now been amended to accurately reflect the surveys undertaken. The corrected statement is:
“There will also be benefits at a site to district level for key species such as bats, birds associated with hedgerows and woodland, brown hare, hedgehog, amphibians, reptiles, and invertebrates during the operational phase.”
We apologise for any confusion caused and thank you for your understanding. If you have any questions, please contact our Community Relations Team via the details provided on this website.
2024
Consultation materials
PEIR
Volume 1
Volume 2 figures
Volume 3 appendix
Other materials
October 2024
Privacy Notice Statutory Consultation
September 2024
Workshop Summary Report
June 2024
Updated overview map A_G
June 2024
Green Hill Solar Farm Newsletter
May 2024
Site G – Co:design May 2024
May 2024
Site G – Environmental Masterplan
May 2024
Site G – Location Plan
May 2024
Site G – Access and Location Plan
May 2024
Site G – Environmental Constraints Plan North
May 2024
Site G – Environmental Constraints Plan South
May 2024
Full site – Environmental Constraints Plan
March 2024
Green Hill Solar Farm – Co:design workshops
March 2024
Access and Location Plan
March 2024
Environmental Constraints Plan – Northern Sites
March 2024
Environmental Constraints Plan – Southern Sites
March 2024
Site Plan A Environmental Masterplan (1 of 9)
March 2024
Site Plan B Environmental Masterplan (2 of 9)
March 2024
Site Plan C & D Environmental Masterplan (3 of 9)
March 2024
Site Plan E (1) Environmental Masterplan (4 of 9)
March 2024
Site Plan E (2) Environmental Masterplan (5 of 9)
March 2024
Site Plan BESS Site Environmental Masterplan (6 of 9)
March 2024
Site Plan F (1) Environmental Masterplan (7 of 9)
March 2024
Site Plan F (2) Environmental Masterplan (8 of 9)
March 2024
Site Plan F (3) Environmental Masterplan (9 of 9)
March 2024
Environmental Masterplan Location - Plan A0
A guide to our documents:
- Consultation Information Booklet – details information about the Scheme, the planning process, the focus of our consultation and how our plans have evolved, including an indicative masterplan of the sites. This booklet is available on our website and in hard copy at our events.
- Feedback form – by completing this questionnaire, your feedback will be reviewed. This can be completed on our website. You can also collect this from our events, a local information point or on request by email, post or phone.
- Preliminary Environmental Information Report (PEIR) – this is a technical report which outlines the impacts we believe the Scheme would have on the environment and what measures we are proposing to mitigate these. This includes the main report, figures, maps and plans. This can be accessed on our website, or as a reference copy at our events.
- Non-Technical summary (NTS) of the PEIR – this summary of the PEIR is available to view on our website and at our consultation events.
- Maps and plans – a series of maps and plans for the Scheme are also available on our website and at our consultation events.
- Statement of Community Consultation (SoCC) – the SoCC sets out how we intend to consult people ahead of our application for development consent for the Scheme. The SoCC can be found on our website or in hard copy at our events.
Have your say
Your feedback is important to us and will be used to help us develop and refine our proposals.
You can share your feedback in the following ways:
- Attend one of our consultation events to meet the project team, learn about our plans and complete a feedback form.
- Visit one of our information points to view copies of the consultation materials and pick up a feedback form, returning it to FREEPOST GREEN HILL SOLAR FARM.
- Complete the Online Feedback Form.
If you require materials in an alternative format (e.g. large print or braille), please let us know.
We recommend viewing our more detailed plans in the PEIR (outlining the findings from our initial studies) and the Non-Technical Summary (NTS) alongside the Consultation Information Booklet.
Visit our consultation page for more information on the in-person and online webinars.
The deadline for comment is 23:59 Thursday 19 December 2024.
Contact us
You can contact us at
Community Relations Freephone at
0800 012 9882