Proposed solar farm could create hundreds of jobs

Hundreds of jobs could be created if plans for a new Nottinghamshire solar park are approved, the developer behind the project said.The proposed Great North Road Solar Park, near Newark, is forecast to create enough clean energy to power every home in the county.Developer Elements Green said that about 400 roles would be created during the construction phase, with a further 60 needed permanently once it is operational.”The benefits of the Great North Road Solar Park aren’t just limited to cheaper bills and greener energy,” said Mark Noone, head of UK development. “There will be hundreds of secure, well-paid jobs created during construction and the project’s legacy would include scores of skilled positions once the site is operational.”Over half of those will be engineering roles, but there will also be a need for admin and support staff, and there will be plenty of chances for these roles to be filled locally.”These will be good jobs, which are permanent and pay a proper wage. And much like the Great North Road Solar Park, we believe they will make a positive contribution to the lives of families across the area.He added: “The skills and training opportunities on offer to local people will form part of a separate announcement to follow in the coming months.”If approved, the scheme would involve about 1.5m solar panels erected to produce cleaner energy.Additionally, approximately £1m-a-year in grant funding would be made available via the NG+ scheme, helping community projects that have a focus on areas such as education, food security, energy efficiency, wellbeing and the environment.