North Yorkshire solar farm gets the go-ahead

Planning permission has been granted for a North Yorkshire solar farm with the potential to power thousands of homes.Elgin Energy, supported by Arcus Consultancy Services, submitted an application to Harrogate Borough Council in 2019 for development on a 210-acre agricultural site between South Stainley and Cayton.The plans cover the installation of solar panels across 125 acres of the site, together with associated infrastructure including inverter substations, point of connection (PoC) Compound, masts, cables, and security.The solar farm would generate about 49,000 megawatt hours per year of renewable energy, equivalent to the average consumption of at least 11,798 homes per annum.The council’s Planning Committee voted in favour of the application at a meeting on 24 August, with approval deferred to the executive officer for development management and building control.The approval was in line with the recommendation of a report prepared for the meeting, as previously reported by Insider.As of 2021, Elgin Energy has brought forward 230MW of solar energy across 21 projects in the UK, generating power for the equivalent of 75,000 homes.