Nearly 4,000 acres of farmland approved for major solar farm

One of the UK’s largest solar farm projects has been approved, with almost 4,000 acres of mostly farmland set to be used across the Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire border.

The One Earth solar farm will span 1,600 hectares, or 3,954 acres, on land either side of the River Trent, south of Dunham-on-Trent near East Markham.

Developers say the project could generate up to 740MW of electricity, enough to power the equivalent of around 200,000 homes.

The scheme has been brought forward by PS Renewables and Danish energy company Ørsted.

The approval is likely to intensify debate over the use of agricultural land for large-scale renewable energy projects.

Large solar schemes have become an increasingly contentious issue in rural areas, with supporters pointing to energy security while critics question the loss of productive farmland and the impact on rural landscapes.

An application was submitted to the government earlier this year, with the Planning Inspectorate confirming on Wednesday 8 July that development consent had been granted.

The project will sit across parts of Bassetlaw, Newark and Sherwood, and West Lindsey district council areas.

The solar farm has been classed as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project, meaning the final decision was made by central government rather than local councils.

The panels will connect to the grid at the decommissioned High Marnham power station in Nottinghamshire.

The decision comes after ministers also approved Springwell Solar Farm between Lincoln and Sleaford, another major scheme expected to generate enough electricity for around 180,000 homes.

The recent approvals have added to wider debate over the use of farmland and rural landscapes for large-scale renewable energy projects.

Other large solar schemes approved recently include Pear Tree Hill in East Yorkshire and Dean Moor in West Cumbria.

The government says it has now approved 30 nationally significant clean energy projects since coming to power in July 2024.

It says those projects could generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of more than 19 million homes.

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said: “The only way to have energy security is if we take a pro-growth approach to building more clean energy in Britain.”

Supporters of major solar projects argue they are needed to strengthen domestic energy security and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.

But the scale of schemes being proposed on farmland has raised concerns among some rural communities over food production, landscape impact and local decision-making.

The One Earth decision is expected to add to the wider debate over how the UK balances clean energy targets with agricultural land use and rural concerns.