South Yorkshire Mayor objecting to Rotherham and Doncaster solar farm

The South Yorkshire mayor has joined Rotherham and Doncaster residents and local politicians in opposing the plans for a new solar farm.

South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard has voiced his objections for the new Whitestone solar farm in Rotherham and Doncaster.

On Friday, August 14, he attended a resident meeting at Conisbrough Community Library, speaking with some locals who were collectively objecting to the plans.

If approved the 750MW solar farm would be active for 60 years, designed to power about 250,000 homes.

It was originally proposed to cover 3,500 acres. However, Green Nation, the company leading the project, said this had since been “reduced substantially” by 17 per cent.

The solar farm would go from Conisbrough through Ravensfield, Bramley, Wickersley, Hallaby, Thurcroft, Brampton-en-le-Morthen, Anston, Aston, Whiston and towards Brinsworth.

Mr Coppard said: “It doesn’t offer any community benefit worth its name. £18 million over the lifetime of the project would flow back into the community from the developer.

“11 full-time jobs is not enough to offset the cost to the local community, and yet the decision is taken entirely out of our hands.

“The benefits all flow outside of South Yorkshire to landowners who don’t live here, and to a company that will not reinvest in the right way in this community,” he said.

“Nobody gets a cheaper bill as a result of this scheme, and yet the asset that is being taken away as a result of it is huge.

Although against the location and size of this proposed farm, Mr Coppard affirmed that he is not against renewable energy.

“I am 100 per cent behind renewable energy infrastructure, changing our approach to energy generation, making sure we have a set of power assets in this country that reduce our carbon footprint

“That means for me, nuclear power, hydrogen, it means absolutely solar on new builds, factories, logistics warehouses, public buildings and the right places,” he said.

“If you want to drive forward with net zero and projects that give people confidence that we’re taking the right approach, listen to local people and actually have their voices heard.

The mayor said that he feels these plans wouldn’t be seen in southern parts of the country, with cheaper land found in South Yorkshire.

“Quite honestly, this would not happen in Surrey. This would not happen in Cornwall, or Somerset.

“This is happening here because the land is relatively cheap, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less valuable to the local people who use it for farming, for their way of life, for mental health, walking their dog, riding their horses, or whatever it may be.”

The South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) and Mr Coppard are holding a public meeting on Monday, August 24 between 5.30pm and 7.30pm, where the public will have the opportunity to ask questions and share their thoughts on the planned development.

Planning inspectors will hold an examination period from autumn, 2026 to spring, 2027. A final decision is expected to be made in winter, 2027 by the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero.

A representative from Green Nation said: “Whitestone would generate up to 750 MW of renewable energy, which is enough to power 200,000 UK homes. This would make a significant contribution to national energy goals, which call for trebling solar power to 45 GW by 2030 in order to meet our growing demand for electricity with clean energy sources.

“Whilst there is no requirement to do so, we have committed to provide £400 per megawatt each year, which would amount to approximately £18 million over the life of the project. We will continue to work with local communities and stakeholders to develop this proposal so that it supports local initiatives and priorities.

“All of the current public rights of way would remain open, other than temporary closures that might be needed during construction, and we have included 14.5 km in new permissive paths to expand access across the site. Consultation feedback also helped determine the cable corridors and locations of the batteries and substations.”