Stage Two Consultation – Jun 2022

This consultation has now closed.

We carried out our statutory consultation on our refined proposals for Great Burton Energy Park between 22 June and 05 August 2022.

Building on the initial consultation we held in early 2022, the purpose of this second stage of consultation was to present our updated proposals and give people the opportunity to continue to inform and influence the development process.

This consultation specifically sought feedback on our updated concept masterplan for the solar energy park, the way it could connect into the national grid at Cottam substation in Nottinghamshire, and the measures we proposed to avoid or reduce the impacts associated with the project.

Key updates to the proposals we consulted on for Stage Two

We made a number of changes to layouts and technology we’re proposing for the project to address potential impacts identified through our assessment work and raised in feedback to the first consultation.

• Inclusion of undeveloped buffers and offsets from:

  • Existing landscape features including ponds, hedgerows, and woodland
  • Ancient woodland
  • Public rights of way
  • Listed buildings at Gate Burton and residential property
• Careful location of the larger built elements of the energy park including the battery energy storage system (BESS) and on-site substation in areas of reduced flooding, screened by existing woodland, with topography and existing vegetation screening wider views, while also avoiding best and most versatile agricultural land as far as possible
• New grassland and wildflower mixes under the panels to enrich the range of fauna, enhance biodiversity and provide resource for pollinators
• Adoption of skylark plots and lapwing fields
• New hedgerow, shrub and tree planting, as well as improvements to existing hedgerow, to limit the visual impact from different vantage points and also provide environmental areas, offsets and buffer zones
• Siting infrastructure to avoid below ground archaeological features wherever possible
• Screening and planting to minimise the impact on the setting of heritage assets
• No disturbance to Burton Ancient and Semi-Natural Woodland
• Integration of the energy park with existing local green infrastructure to improve ecological connectivity across the site
• Selection of a preferred connection corridor approximately 7.5 kilometres long in which the electrical connection could be routed largely using underground cable so it has less impact on the landscape and views
• Collaboration with Island Green Power on cable connection corridor design to identify opportunities for a single shared grid connection area either side of the River Trent to minimise areas for disturbance and maximise opportunities for avoiding sensitive heritage and ecological receptors

Copies of all of the consultation materials and technical documents we produced for Stage Two Consultation can be found HERE.

How we consulted

This second stage of consultation was statutory consultation as required under sections 42 and 47 of the Planning Act 2008.

In accordance with Section 47(6) of the Planning Act 2008, on 08 June 2022 we published a Statement of Community Consultation (SoCC) setting out how we intended to carry out Stage Two Statutory Consultation for Gate Burton Energy Park.

You can find a copy of our SoCC HERE.

Over the course of this consultation we held five in-person events and two online webinar events.

Recordings of the online webinars we held are available to view and download at the links below.

Stage Two Consultation - Online webinar events

Over the course of the consultation we had many constructive discussions, and welcome the insight provided by those conversations and subsequent feedback submitted to the consultation.

Thank you to everyone who took part and provided us with your views.