Notice publicising a proposed application for a Development Consent Order (“DCO”) to authorise a new solar photovoltaic (PV) electricity generating station (“Great North Road Solar and Biodiversity Park”) on land located to the north-west of Newark-on-Trent, the west of the A1, north of the A617, east of Eakring, and south of Egmanton, occupying two main areas to the north and north-west of Staythorpe.

Regulation 4 Infrastructure Planning (Applications Prescribed Forms and Procedure) Regulations 2009.

1. Notice is hereby given that Elements Green Trent Ltd (Company Number 13665771), whose registered office is 1 Half Moon Street, London, United Kingdom, W1J 7AY (“the Applicant”), proposes to apply to the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero under section 37 of the Planning Act 2008 for the above-mentioned Development Consent Order (the “Application”).

2. When built, Great North Road Solar and Biodiversity Park would have an anticipated solar electricity generation capacity of approximately 1,120 megawatts (MW) Direct Current (DC) / 800 MW Alternating Current (AC), to be connected into the existing National Grid Staythorpe Substation. In doing so, the scheme has the potential to provide enough clean, affordable energy to meet the power needs of approximately 400,000 homes while avoiding more than 250,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions every year.

3. The proposed DCO will, among other things, authorise:

• Construction, operation, maintenance and decommissioning of a solar PV electricity generating station with a capacity of over 50 MW;

• Associated and/or ancillary works including the construction of an energy storage facility, grid connection infrastructure including onsite substations and underground cabling linking the intermediate substations to the main grid connection point at the National Grid Staythorpe Substation, landscaping, biodiversity and mitigation areas, access tracks, construction facilities, and the creation of permissive paths;

• The permanent compulsory acquisition (if required) of land and/or rights;

• The temporary possession of land;

• The overriding of easements and other rights over or affecting land;

• The application and/or disapplication of legislation; and

• Such ancillary, incidental and consequential provisions, licenses, property rights, permits and consents as are necessary and/or convenient.

4. The Project is an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) development for the purposes of the Infrastructure Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017. This means that the proposed works involved constitute development for which an EIA is required and the proposed application for a DCO will therefore be accompanied by an Environmental Statement (ES). The Environmental Statement will provide a detailed description of Great North Road Solar and Biodiversity Park and its likely significant environmental impacts. Information compiled to date about Great North Road Solar and Biodiversity Park’s likely significant effects will be set out in a Preliminary Environmental Information Report (PEIR) and will also be made available for consultation.

Accessing consultation documents

5. The Applicant is undertaking a phase of consultation on the proposals for Great North Road Solar and Biodiversity Park between Thursday 09 January and Thursday 20 February 2025.

6. The consultation materials comprise a PEIR, a Non-Technical Summary of the PEIR, a draft DCO, Central Booklet which explains the consultation process and summarises the details of Great North Road Solar and Biodiversity Park including plans and maps showing the nature and location of the proposed DCO, and a Feedback Form inviting comments.

7. These consultation materials will be available free-of-charge on the Applicant’s website in the document library (www.gnrsolarpark.co.uk) to read, download and print between Thursday 09 January and Thursday 20 February 2025.

8. Consultation materials will also be provided in paper copy or on USB by request to the Applicant (contact details provided below). Please note that a reasonable charge up to £500 may apply to providing printed copies of the PEIR.

9. Consultation materials can also be made available by request in alternative formats, such as large print, translated language, audio or braille, by contacting the Applicant using the details below.

10. Copies of consultation materials (excluding the PEIR) will also be available to view in person between Thursday 09 January and Thursday 20 February 2025 at the following public venues in the vicinity of Great North Road Solar and Biodiversity Park. Please note that opening times have been checked, but they are dependent on the venue itself and may be subject to change.

11. The Applicant will host public information events to provide opportunities to view the relevant documentation and speak with members of the project team. The details of the events are as follows:

12. These public information events offer an opportunity to find out more about the Applicant’s updated proposals. Attendees do not need to register in advance to attend in-person events.

13. Attendees can register to attend the online community webinar by visiting the Applicant’s website or contacting the Applicant directly.

Responding to the consultation

14. Feedback can be provided through the Applicant’s website (www.gnrsolarpark.co.uk), where an online feedback form will be clearly linked.

15. Hard copy feedback forms will be available to collect at the aforementioned public information events and public venues, to download from the Applicant’s website, and can be issued upon request to the contact details below. Completed feedback forms can be emailed or posted back to the Applicant at the details provided below or submitted at the public information events.

16. Any written responses can be sent to the Applicant by email to info@gnrsolarpark.co.uk or by post to FREEPOST GNR SOLAR.

17. Any response or representation in respect of the proposed DCO must (i) be received by the Applicant on or before Thursday 20 February, (ii) be made in writing, (iii) state the grounds of the response or representation, and (iv) indicate who is making the response or representation.

18. The Applicant will consider and have regard to all responses received during this time before submitting its application for a DCO. Responses and representations will form the basis of a Consultation Report that will be one of the factors taken into consideration by the Planning Inspectorate when deciding whether the Application can be accepted for examination. Therefore, in providing any comment, it should be borne in mind that the substance of it may be communicated to others as part of the Consultation Report and may be publicly available.

19. Personal details will be held securely and solely for purposes in connection with the statutory consultation, DCO process and further development of Great North Road Solar and Biodiversity Park. Outside of these purposes the Applicant may be required to provide personal details if the Planning Inspectorate requests original responses. Otherwise, personal details will not be disclosed to any third parties. For further details please see the Applicant’s Privacy Policy on their website (www. gnrsolarpark.co.uk). A copy of the privacy policy can be provided upon request at the contact details below.

Contacting the Applicant

20. The Applicant can be contacted by:

• Emailing: info@gnrsolarpark.co.uk

• Writing to: FREEPOST GNR SOLAR

• Calling: 0808 175 4054 (open 09:00-17:00, Monday-Friday. A voicemail service will operate for out of office hours)