Consultation and engagement so far
In 2022, as part of the early-stage engagement for the Scheme, we held a series of collaboration workshops in the local area with elected representatives, such as local councillors and parish councils, along with environmental and community groups.
A summary of our engagement during our collaboration workshops, including how we have used comments to help refine the Scheme, is set out in the Post-collaboration workshop report, which is available on the ‘Documents Library’ page of this website.
We held our statutory consultation for six weeks from 30 May to 11 July 2023. We would like to thank everyone who took part in this consultation and provide feedback. Your comments have been important in helping us refine our detailed proposals for the Scheme, before we submit our application for development consent in 2024.
All information from our statutory consultation, including our Preliminary Environmental Information (PEI) Report and non-technical summary (NTS), can still be viewed on the ‘Documents Library’ page of this website. We will be issuing a community newsletter in due course, which will summarise the results of our statutory consultation and the work we’ve been carrying out since July 2023.
Targeted statutory consultation – December 2023 to January 2024
The feedback from our Statutory Consultation has been considered and we have carried out further technical work. As a result of this, we have identified a total of 20 proposed changes to the draft Order limits relating to:
- the refinement of the Cable Route Corridor to allow for access and public road improvements. This also ensures that the corridor is shared with the other solar nationally significant infrastructure projects in the vicinity of the scheme (being West Burton Solar Farm Project and Cottam Solar Farm Project, which are being developed by Island Green Power, and Gate Burton Solar Farm, which is being developed by Low Carbon).
- minor changes to the Principal Site (where the solar photovoltaic panels and other infrastructure would be sited) and ensuring that there is sufficient land for our access point in one location along the A631.
We are also proposing further changes as a result of a further land referencing exercise, where we have been able to clarify land ownership in certain locations.
We consulted on these proposed changes to the scheme design between 14 December 2023 and 25 January 2024. This consultation happened in accordance with section 42 of the Planning Act 2008.
The revisions to the draft Order limits presented during this consultation do not affect the conclusion of our PEI Report and no new significant environmental effects have been introduced as a result of them.
Tillbridge Solar webinar June and July 2023
Next steps
Your feedback from this consultation will help us finalise our Scheme design ahead of submitting our application for development consent in 2024.
We’ll set out a summary of the responses you have provided during our statutory consultation and this additional consultation, with details of how your feedback has helped shape our proposals in our Consultation Report. This Consultation Report will form part the Application that we expect to make in 2024. Documents will be available to the public once the application is accepted for examination by the Secretary of State.