Plans for a solar and energy park near Gainsborough have taken a step forward.

The Gate Burton Energy Park application has been granted development consent by the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero.

The energy park would be built on agricultural land wholly contained within the boundary of one site comprising approximately 684 hectares (1,690 acres).

The electricity generated by the energy park is expected to be exported into the existing national electricity transmission system at National Grid’s 400kV Cottam substation, in the district of Bassetlaw.

A public consultation was held for the proposed Gate Burton Energy Park

placeholder image — A public consultation was held for the proposed Gate Burton Energy Park

The application was submitted to the Planning Inspectorate for consideration by Gate Burton Energy Park Ltd on January 27, 2023 and accepted for Examination on February 22, 2023.

The Examining Authority listened and gave full consideration to all local views and the evidence gathered during the examination before making its recommendation to the Secretary of State.

The six month public examination ran from July 4, 2023 to January 4, 2024 and the Secretary of State was due to have made a decision by July 4, 2024.

However, following the announcement of the general election the decision was pushed back.

Once built, the 500 MW project will provide enough solar capacity to power approximately 160,000 homes with clean, secure electricity and play a key role supporting the Labour government's mission of delivering a net zero grid by 2030.

The project will also deliver a series of socio-economic and environmental benefits, including more than 350 jobs per annum during peak construction and a significant biodiversity net gain across the site.

Mike Rutgers, managing director of UK Development at Low Carbon, said: “We are delighted that the new Secretary of State has granted consent on the Gate Burton Energy Park, allowing us to progress to the construction phase of the project and reaffirming our position as the market leader for UK solar.

“As Gate Burton progresses, we look forward to continuing to engage closely with local residents, business owners and other key stakeholders to ensure we deliver this project responsibly.”