Defence Secretary comes out against plans for huge South Yorkshire solar farm
Whitestone Solar Farm is to be located in three different South Yorkshire greenbelt sites.
The Secretary of State for Defence and local MP, John Healey, has publicly come out against a solar farm planned for greenbelt land in his constituency.
The Rawmarsh & Conisbrough MP wrote to the developers of Whitestone Solar Farm, Green Nation, informing the company the project failed to meet his expectations.
He wrote: “In my view, every project must still meet three tests. It must be proportionate, it must be safe, and it must be fair. Whitestone fails all three.”
The Defence Secretary explained the project was not proportionate as it was “the wrong scale of scheme in the wrong place”.
He raised concerns that the expansive project (over three separate South Yorkshire sites) could disrupt “over 60 public rights of way” and change the character of historic villages.
“National policy is clear that large-scale solar must protect openness and landscape value, yet Whitestone’s own assessment admits significant adverse effects that cannot be mitigated,” the letter said.
Healey also called into question the safety of the plans, stating Whitestone’s Environmental Statement shows “incomplete flood risk and biodiversity assessments”.
“Building energy infrastructure in flood zones and near sensitive habitats is not safe or sustainable,” he wrote.
The MP also said the consultation for the project had been “flawed”, questioning why the “three separate schemes” – Whitestone’s three proposed sites – are “treated as one”.
In response, a spokesperson for Whitestone Solar Farm and Green Nation told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that it had already reduced the overall size of the proposals by a quarter as a result of public feedback and further changes would be made as a result of the current, ongoing consultation.
They added: “National Policy Statements make clear the importance of solar farms like this one to support national energy goals, and state that virtually all nationally significant energy infrastructure projects will have adverse effects on the landscape.
“Policy goes on to state that projects need to be designed carefully, taking account of the potential impact on the landscape.”
Whitestone is also committed to “find out what is important to people about the local area and seek to protect it”, the spokesperson said.
The organisation further explained that its Environmental Statement includes preliminary results of assessments carried out.
“This is a requirement of the development process to ensure that we are presenting early results so that technical experts can fact check our approach and assessments. By definition, this means that the surveys and assessments are not complete at this stage in order to incorporate their feedback before we finalise the environmental impact assessment,” the spokesperson said.
Addressing the MP’s concerns over their consultation, Whitestone said: “While Whitestone is a single development with one grid connection, we are aware that there are different communities and concerns around each of the three major sections.
“This is why we developed bespoke consultation materials for each of the three sections of the project which have different graphics, maps and other imagery, as well as a variety of maps to help provide more information.”
Over 1,000 copies of their consultation booklets have been handed out at public events, it was added.
Whitestone Solar Farm is to be located in three different South Yorkshire greenbelt sites. Whitestone One near Conisbrough, Doncaster; Whitestone Two near Ulley, Rotherham; and Whitestone Three further south near Harthill and Woodall, Rotherham.
The proposals have met significant opposition from locals and political leaders.
As well as John Healey, Sarah Champion, MP for Rotherham, and Jake Richards, MP for Rother Valley, have both expressed their opposition to the project.
The City of Doncaster Council agreed on an official position that solar panels and solar farms should not be built on greenbelt land at a meeting of full council in September 2025.
An amended motion by Cllr Cynthia Ransome said Doncaster Council believes “solar energy development must be balanced with the need to protect greenfield land for other purposes, including agriculture, and the need to maintain the harmony of our countryside”.
Council resolved that it would support “small, discrete solar panel installations” on rooftops and car parks.
The LDRS has also reached out to other Doncaster MPs, Sally Jameson and Lee Pitcher, asking for their positions on the project. Both declined to comment due to the solar farm plans not being within their constituencies.
Ed Miliband, MP for Doncaster North, is not able to comment on the proposals. He, as Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, will be the final decision maker on the plans.