Notice publicising a proposed application for a Development Consent Order (“DCO”) to construct, operate, maintain and decommission a solar photovoltaic (PV) generating station, with a generating capacity of more than 50MW and associated infrastructure on land in Northamptonshire and Milton Keynes (Green Hill Solar Farm).

1. Notice is hereby given that Green Hill Solar Farm Limited (Company registration number 13362769) of Unit 25.7 Coda Studios, 189 Munster Road, London, England SW6 6AW (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 a Development Consent Order for the Green Hill Solar Farm (the Application).

2. The Green Hill Solar Farm will cover a combined area of approximately 1,200 hectares and will consist of the following sites:

a. Green Hill A, A.2, B, C, D, E, F, G, and Green Hill BESS: eight solar array sites and a dedicated battery energy storage system site, located between Northampton, Wellingborough and Milton Keynes. The solar array sites will include solar panels, conversion units, inverters, and 132kV substations in Green Hill A, B, E, F and G and two 400kV substations in Green Hill C and Green Hill BESS.

b. A battery energy storage system located within Green Hill BESS. A second location for energy storage is also being considered at Green Hill C.

c. A cable route search area has been identified for the underground electricity cables connecting the Green Hill sites, substations and the energy storage system to the National Grid substation at Grendon; and

d. Associated infrastructure, mitigation and enhancement measures, and other ancillary works, for example, fencing, security, local grid connections, temporary access roads, permanent means of access, highway works, temporary works compounds and work sites.

3. The sites are located across several parishes and administrative areas:

• Green Hill A and A.2 are located in the parishes of Old and Walgrave and in the administrative area of West Northamptonshire, approximately 600m south of Walgrave.

• Green Hill B is located within the parish of Holcot and in the administrative area of West Northamptonshire, approximately 1.2km north of Moulton.

• Green Hill C is located within parishes of Sywell and Mears Ashby and in the administrative area of North Northamptonshire, approximately 2km west of Wellingborough.

• Green Hill D is located within the parish of Mears Ashby and in the administrative area of North Northamptonshire, approximately 2km west of Wellingborough.

• Green Hill E is located within the parishes of Mears Ashby and Wilby in the administrative area of North Northamptonshire, approximately 500m north of Earls Barton.

• Green Hill F is located within the parishes of Easton Maudit and Bozeat in the administrative area of North Northamptonshire, approximately 300m west of the village of Bozeat.

• Green Hill G is located within the parishes of Warrington and Lavendon in the administrative area of Milton Keynes, approximately 600m north of Lavendon.

• Green Hill BESS is located within the parish of Grendon and in the administrative area of North Northamptonshire, approximately 600m north of Grendon.

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

• Construction, operation, maintenance and decommissioning of the solar PV electricity generating station and associated development including grid connection and energy storage facility;

• Compulsory acquisition of land, including interests in land, rights over land and imposition of restrictions, powers to override, suspend or extinguish rights over land and powers for the temporary use of land;

• The application, modification and/or disapplication of legislation including legislation relating to compulsory purchase and landlord and tenant; and

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

5. Green Hill Solar Farm 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. The Environmental Statement will provide a detailed description of the Green Hill Solar Farm and its likely significant environmental impacts. Information compiled so far about the Green Hill Solar Farm’s likely significant environmental effects is set out for consultation in a Preliminary Environmental Information Report (the PEIR) and summarised in a Non-Technical Summary.

Statutory consultation

6. The Applicant is undertaking a statutory consultation on the proposals for the Green Hill Solar Farm between Thursday 7 November 2024 and Thursday 19 December 2024.

7. A copy of the PEIR, together with a Non-Technical Summary, our Statement of Community Consultation (SoCC), and other consultation documents, plans and maps explaining our consultation process and details of the nature and location of the Green Hill Solar Farm can be found on the Applicant’s website in the documents library at www.greenhillsolar.co.uk. These documents will be free to read, download and print from 7 November 2024 until 19 December 2024.

8. Hard copies of the PEIR and Non-Technical Summary will be available for inspection from 7 November 2024 until 19 December 2024 at the following information points. Hard copies of the Consultation Information Booklet and the Consultation Feedback Form will be available to take away free of charge. We recommend contacting the venues to check the opening times prior to visiting.

9. Electronic copies of the PEIR and Non-Technical Summary may be viewed on a computer at the following information points from 7 November 2024 until 19 December 2024. While access to computers at these information points is free, a membership for the library may be required. Hard copies of the Consultation Information Booklet and the Consultation Feedback Form will be available to take away free of charge. We recommend contacting the venues to check the opening times and membership requirements prior to visiting.

10. Hard copies of the Consultation Information Booklet and the Consultation Feedback Form will also be available to take away free of charge from Wellingborough Library, 7 Pebble Lane, Wellingborough NN8 1AS (Monday - Friday 9 am - 6 pm, Saturday 9 am - 5 pm). We recommend contacting the venue to check the opening times prior to visiting.

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

12. These consultation events offer an opportunity to find out more about the Green Hill Solar Farm. Attendees do not need to register in advance to attend an in-person consultation event. A link to the webinars will be available on the project website. Attendees will need to register in advance to attend a webinar either online or via telephone via the link on the project website.

13. For further information or queries, please call 0800 012 9882 (free of charge); write to FREEPOST GREEN HILL SOLAR FARM (no stamp or further details required); email info@greenhillsolar.co.uk or visit www.greenhillsolar.co.uk.

To obtain hard copies of the consultation documents

14. A hard copy of the PEIR can be printed and delivered at a cost of £750 per copy. All other consultation documents can be made available in hard copy, large print, audio or braille format, free of charge upon request to the Applicant on 0800 012 9882 (free of charge) or by email at info@greenhillsolar.co.uk. Requests for translated documents will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Have your say

15. Feedback can be provided through the consultation feedback form on the Applicant’s website at www.greenhillsolar.co.uk. Hardcopy feedback forms will also be available at the information points listed above and at the in person consultation events.

16. The consultation feedback form, responses to or other representation in respect of the Green Hill Solar Farm can also be sent to the Applicant by email to info@greenhillsolar.co.uk or by post to FREEPOST GREEN HILL SOLAR FARM (no stamp or further details required).

17. Any response or representation in respect of the proposed DCO must be received by the Applicant on or before 11.59PM on Thursday 19 December 2024.

The Applicant will consider and have regard to all responses to consultation and publicity when developing its DCO application. Individual responses may be made publicly available, or made available to the Secretary of State, the Planning Inspectorate and other relevant statutory authorities, in accordance with the requirements of the Planning Act 2008 and data protection legislation. Respondents do not have to provide any personal information, but this information will help the Applicant to understand the range of responses and enable the Applicant to send you further information relating to the Green Hill Solar Farm. Personal information will be kept confidential where possible. Please refer to our Privacy Notice for more details: https://greenhillsolar.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Privacy-Notice_StatCon151482463.1.pdf