This week Elements Green, the developers of Great North Road Solar Park, published its Phase One Consultation Summary Report (CSR).The Consultation Summary Report provides an overview of the comments submitted to Elements Green during the Phase One Community Consultation, and how it will use this feedback to shape a strong set of proposals that are sensitive to and respect the views and recommendations of local communities.
The report also outlines further opportunities for the local community and interested parties to comment on the updated proposals and how they have evolved since Phase One Consultation.
Commenting on the report, Mark Noone, Head of UK Development, said, “The feedback we received during the first phase of consultation has helped our team to improve our understanding of the local environment and the aspects of Great North Road Solar Park that local communities considered most important for us to prioritise as we further develop our proposals.
“The Consultation Summary Report sets out the level of feedback we received, how we have responded to it already and how we intend to respond to it in the coming months. We have already made changes to the scheme, and in March, we published early visual amenity changes to the design. In most cases this involved the panels being removed and in one case a substation has been relocated. This initial change was achieved through the valuable input of the community.
“Continued engagement with members of the local community, as well as with key organisations and stakeholders, is crucial to this process and we look forward to further keeping our commitment to meaningful communication throughout the development of our proposals.”
Elements Green are continuing to develop the proposals for Great North Road Solar Park based on the feedback it has received, alongside environmental studies and technical assessments.
Further to developing more detailed proposals for the project, Elements Green will then carry out a second stage of community consultation. This is a statutory stage of consultation and is intended to give local communities the opportunity to comment on updated proposals and see how they have evolved since this initial consultation. Elements Green expect to carry out this second stage of consultation towards the end of 2024.
At this stage, Elements Green will be specifically interested in seeking views on the location of equipment for the solar and energy park, and the cable connection between the solar energy park and Staythorpe substation. Additionally, Elements Green will be seeking views on any proposed changes consultees or interested parties may wish to suggest during construction and if granted consent, when it becomes operational.
Elements Green will continue to engage with local councils, community groups and technical consultees. Several representations have been made to date and Elements Green has been engaging meaningfully with those suggestions, leading to design changes. Elements Green will undertake further environmental assessments ahead of publishing a Preliminary Environmental Information Report, anticipated for Autumn of this year ahead of the second stage of consultation.
Local residents and community members can continue to contact the project team directly by emailing us at info@gnrsolarpark.co.uk, writing to FREEPOST GNR SOLAR, or calling 0808 175 4054.
To view and download the Consultation Summary Report, please visit the documents page of our website at www.gnrsolarpark.co.uk/documents.
