The Scheme - Tillbridge Solar

Overview

Tillbridge Solar is a proposed Scheme located approximately five kilometres to the east of Gainsborough and approximately thirteen kilometres to the north of Lincoln. The electricity generated from the Scheme would then connect to National Grid’s Cottam substation in Nottinghamshire.

The new solar farm would be located on the land to the south of Harpswell Lane (A631), to the west of Middle Street (B1398) and largely to the north of Kexby Road and to the east of Springthorpe. This will cover an area of approximately 1,400ha and is located entirely within the administrative area of West Lindsey District Council. The solar farm would connect to the national grid via underground cables connecting to National Grid's Cottam substation located approximately sixteen kilometres to the south-west of the solar farm site.

The name ‘Tillbridge’ pays tribute to Lincolnshire’s Roman heritage, and specifically Tillbridge Lane that linked Lincoln with the River Trent. It represented a major route that travellers took when travelling from Lincoln to other northern locations. Tillbridge Lane exists today, linking the A15 to the east and the A156 to the west.

Location

To date, we have identified the following areas, as shown in the map below:

Principal Site – covering an area of approximately 1,400 hectares (ha), the Principal Site comprises 900 ha of developable area (where all solar PV panels and associated infrastructure would be located), and 500 ha of non-developable areas (which is being considered for environmental mitigation and enhancement measures).
Cable Route Corridor – approximately 16 km in length the Cable Route Corridor would connect the Principal Site in West Lindsey, Lincolnshire, to National Grid’s Cottam Substation in Bassetlaw, Nottinghamshire, via underground 400 kilovolt (KV) electricity cables.

Our early stage engagement with key stakeholders, including local representatives, near neighbours and landowners, along with our initial environment surveys and design work helped shape our initial plans in these areas. We presented a more detailed design for the Scheme – the Indictive Masterplan – at our statutory consultation.

Indicative site layout plan

The indicative site layout plan below shows the proposals for the design and layout of Tillbridge Solar presented at our statutory consultation (May to July 2023). More information can be found in the Project Information Booklet, which can be found in the Documents Library.

Interactive map

For our statutory consultation we also produced an interactive map, which allows you to search for areas of interest, including explanations of the individual Scheme elements. This can be found below.

Our site
selection so far

The indicative site layout plan above shows the proposals for the design and layout of the Tillbridge Solar Principal Site. More information on this, and the site selection, can be found in the project information booklet, which can be found in the Documents Library. We will be updating this information in due course.

Our vision

Our vision for Tillbridge Solar is to deliver cleaner, greener, and lower cost energy, while also enhancing the local environment and ensuring we are a responsible developer.

Our vision and objectives

Build a solar farm that will contribute to the UK’s zero-carbon future and support Lincolnshire’s transition to Net Zero.

Provide equivalent energy needs for around 300,000 households with low-cost energy, generated in the UK at a time of great uncertainty within the energy market.