Major solar farms plans for Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire sent to government

The One Earth solar farm would cover 1,600 hectares – the equivalent of 2,800 football pitches – near Dunham-on-Trent.

It will reportedly be able to generate up to 740MW of electricity – enough to more than 200,000 homes.

It will cross the borders of West Lindsey, Bassetlaw and Newark and Sherwood districts.

The application is being brought forward by PS Renewables and Danish energy company Ørsted.

The companies carried out a six-week consultation period last year, which they say made the designs more acceptable to local residents.

The application also contains an energy storage system to store solar energy on sunny days and release it to the grid when it’s needed.

The project would be capable of generating more than 50MW, meaning it will be determined by the Secretary of State for Net Zero rather than the local councils.

The government will now decide whether to accept the application, and will conduct a lengthy examination process if so.

A final decision could be made by spring 2026.

Solar projects on this scale have nearly always been approved in recent years, with projects spanning more than 10,000 acres getting the green light in West Lindsey alone.

The solar panels would use a grid connection at the decommissioned High Marnham power station.

A statement on the project’s website reads: “The UK has committed to reducing carbon emissions to net-zero by 2050 and fully decarbonising the power supply by 2035.

“This means that older forms of power generation, such as the coal-fired power station at High Marnham, are being taken out of use and need to be replaced with renewable energy sources.

“That means there is an urgent need for clean, affordable ways of generating energy. One Earth Solar Farm could make a significant contribution to this goal by producing enough energy for more than 200,000 homes each year.”