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The Green Hill Solar Farm (GHSF) is a proposal by Island Green Power to build a solar farm on farmland principally across Northamptonshire. This page provides quick access to available information, and a high-level summary of proposals and activities.
Websites Applicant Opposition Group Planning Inspectorate
Current stage
The Parish Council’s response to Green Hill Solar Farm’s consultation 7 November – 19 December 2024.
The Parish Council have also written to the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, outlining our issues with the proposals, and asking him to bring forward legislation that deploys solar generating capacity via rooftops rather than via greenfield solar farms.
About the proposal
The proposal would generate 500MW of solar power. The ‘Farm’ consists of several sites.
The Holcot site (B) is approximately 150 acres in the south of the Parish. The total area of the whole Farm is around 3000 acres (about 4 times the size of Pitsford reservoir).
The ‘Farm’ will house solar panels. These are around 4m high, and may be fixed or rotating. There will also be a battery hub (BESS) with other equipment. Cables have to be laid to connect the sites. We await the details of the proposed layout showing the details of each site which will be the subject of further consultation.
The sites are expected to take 2 years to build, with a lifetime expected to be 60 years. If approved, construction is expected to start in 2027.
The following is the Applicant’s overview map of sites forming the ‘Farm’. See their website for detailed maps.
The Holcot site (“Site B”) is on farmland to the south of the village on the footpath towards Overstone.
A little more detail of Site B (March 2024)
What has happened so far?
See the Planning Inspectorate website for full details of the planning process.
Early in the year GHSF held a few events aimed at engaging people, particularly interest groups and Councils. GHSF’s report.
At the same time, the Stop Green Hill Solar group formed. See a summary of their arguments.
Over the summer 2024, Parish Councils and other parties were asked by the Planning Inspectorate to comment on the scoping of an Environmental Impact Assessment. This is a process where the developer asks the Planning Inspectorate for opinion on the scoping of the assessment of the impacts of the proposals, and the Planning Inspectorate must consult interested parties (“Statutory Consultees”) and provide a response. This is important as it ensures that the developer considers the full implications of its proposals. Holcot Parish Council’s response to Planning Inspectorate Planning Inspectorate consolidated response to GHSF
A broad consultation by GHSF ran 7 November- 19 December 2024. A public event was held in Holcot, with Stop Green Hill Solar presenting. The Parish Council commented, and also wrote to the Secretary of State with a summary of the key points and a request to consider alternative solar power generation strategies.
The next step is for GHSF to provide the Planning Inspectorate with a draft Development Consent Order – this is expected in Spring 2025.