The proposals for Light Valley Solar have been put forward by Island Green Power, a leading developer of renewable energy projects specialising in utility-scale solar and battery storage systems. 

We have successfully delivered over 34 solar projects worldwide totalling more than one gigawatt of capacity. This includes 17 solar projects in the UK and Republic of Ireland.  We recently secured consent for a nationally significant scheme in Lincolnshire.

Committed to responsible land use, we believe that the development and delivery of utility-scale solar farms can be achieved in harmony with their surroundings. 

As it is common for projects such as this, Island Green Power has established Light Valley Solar Limited as a special purpose vehicle for developing the proposals. 

For more information, please visit the Island Green Power website at: www.islandgp.com.

Light Valley Solar is a proposed solar and energy storage project to the north and west of Selby in North Yorkshire.  The development proposal will consist of a new solar electricity generating station and associated battery energy storage system (BESS). The project has a connection agreement with National Grid to supply 500 megawatts (MW) of clean electricity. 

The proposals for Light Valley Solar include areas of land north and west of Selby in North Yorkshire. The project comprises five site panel areas, located in rural areas between Monk Fryston, Hambleton and Escrick. A 500 MWac grid connection to the transmission network has been secured at National Grid’s Monk Fryston substation.

A Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) is a project over a certain size or scale which means it is considered by the Government to be of national importance.

Light Valley Solar is classified as an NSIP because of the amount of electricity it is anticipated to deliver (up to 500 MW). This exceeds the minimum 50 MW threshold set out in the Planning Act 2008.

For projects with a generation capacity of less than 50 MW a developer is required to apply for planning permission from the relevant local planning authority under the Town and Country Planning Act (TCPA).

The development regime for an NSIP comes under the Planning Act 2008. This means we need to submit an application for a Development Consent Order (DCO) to build, operate and decommission Light Valley Solar to the Planning Inspectorate rather than North Yorkshire Council as the local planning authority.

In the case of energy related NSIPs the Planning Inspectorate acts on behalf of the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero. It will carry out an examination of our application for development consent for Light Valley Solar and then make a recommendation to the Secretary of State on whether to grant consent. The Secretary of State will make the final decision on whether to grant consent for the Project.

North Yorkshire Council and stakeholder groups will play a key role in the planning process and be consulted as the Project progresses.

You can find more information about the application process for NSIPs on the Planning Inspectorate website here.

We anticipate that the development process through DCO submission and examination will take between two to three years. We intend to submit our DCO application to the Planning Inspectorate (PINS), who will administer the application on behalf of the Secretary of State, in 2026. Subject to achieving consent, construction would start no earlier than 2028.

Our indicative project timeline can be found on The Planning Process page of this website.

The way we consume energy is already changing. The move towards renewables and the transition away from fossil fuels is an environmental and economic necessity. National electricity demand is increasing and expected to double by 2050. To hit our net zero and climate change targets, boosting our solar energy capacity is an essential component.

The project will have the ability to deliver 500 megawatts of clean, predictable and affordable energy. Light Valley Solar would contribute to the Government’s target to increase solar capacity to 70 GW by 2035 and support its vision for decarbonisation of the energy sector by 2030. Even when this is met, the UK would be using only a very small proportion of its land mass for solar panels.

Light Valley Solar aligns with North Yorkshire Council's Climate Change Strategy to install an additional 2,500 MW of solar, onshore wind, and hydropower capacity by 2038. The development will also support North Yorkshire Council’s aspirations to reach net carbon neutrality by 2030.

Yes. Public consultation forms an important part of the pre-application process for NSIPs. The adequacy of consultation undertaken on the project is a key test under the Planning Act 2008 (which will be examined by PINS), and one which a developer must comply with if it is to succeed in gaining a DCO. Early and ongoing consultation will inform and influence the development of our proposals for the project. Local communities, residents, and councils will have an important role to play. 

We are keen for Light Valley Solar to be developed in collaboration with local communities and stakeholders. Early and ongoing consultation will inform and influence the development of our proposals for the project. Local communities, residents, and councils will have an important role to play. 

The development of our proposals for Light Valley Solar will be an iterative process. We anticipate holding at least two phases of community consultation when we will invite views on our proposals. This feedback will be reviewed by the project team to help inform and influence the evolving proposals. 

Our first phase of community consultation is now closed. It ran for six weeks from 24th October to 5th December 2024. [REMOVE] - During this non-statutory phase of consultation, you can view our early-phase proposals for the overall project and provide your feedback. You can provide your feedback here via the online feedback form [ADD LINK], by posting a hardcopy of the feedback form [ADD LINK] free of charge to FREEPOST LIGHT VALLEY SOLAR or by providing written feedback to info@lightvalleysolar.co.uk. 

We will use the views and comments you submitted during the first phase of consultation, together with the findings from ongoing studies and surveys we are carrying out, to help us shape and refine our proposals. 

Further to developing more detailed proposals for the project we will carry out a second phase of consultation. This will be a statutory phase of consultation required by the application process for NSIPs. We expect to carry out this second phase of consultation Summer 2025. 

Feedback from this phase, combined with ongoing assessment findings, will help finalise our detailed plans for submission to the Planning Inspectorate. 

The second phase of consultation will likely be the last time we consult on our proposals for Light Valley Solar before submission. However, you will be able to register your interest in our proposals when the project is accepted by the Planning Inspectorate for examination. The Planning Inspectorate will then keep you informed about the progress of our application and next steps. 

For direct updates on the project and upcoming consultation activity, you can register your details with us here. 

How will the local community benefit from our proposals?

Island Green Power provides a community benefits package with all the renewable energy schemes it promotes, with the potential for both on-site and off-site initiatives.

We believe the communities closest to the proposed development should benefit and are best placed to recommend what they believe a ‘community benefit’ should be.

We want to hear your suggestions on local schemes and projects we could support or deliver to benefit those communities closest to the project.

Further information regarding community benefits and our intentions for working with the local community can be found here.

The independent National Food Strategy Review shows that solar farms do not present a risk to the UK’s food security(1). In many cases, the income from solar farms helps farmers to diversify and improve their agricultural operations. The site area for Light Valley Solar has been identified as suitable for solar due to a range of environmental and technical reasons. We are undertaking surveys to fully understand the quality of agricultural land on which Light Valley Solar is proposed as being developed, and this will be considered as we refine our proposals.

While the solar farm is operational, land previously used for arable farming is left to rest, and the use of fertiliser and pesticides on site being significantly reduced. This means the soil would likely be of a higher quality at the end of the lifetime of the project. 

The solar industry is committed to supporting sustainable countryside development and is working with farming groups to develop guidelines for other dual use techniques on solar farm sites. These can include collaboration with landowners and farmers to manage grasslands around solar panels through sheep grazing, which is being considered for this project.

Our team will be exploring opportunities for continued agricultural use of the land during the operation of the solar farm. This is often called ‘dual use’ of the land and could include sheep grazing alongside and even underneath the solar panels. Solar panels benefit the welfare of lambs by providing shade, which allows them to preserve energy. Grazing also helps to manage plant growth underneath the panels.

(1)https://www.nationalfoodstrategy.org/the-report/

Light Valley Solar has entered into option agreements with two supportive landowners to lease the land proposed for solar panels, substations, energy storage and other associated development relating to the project.

The option agreements we have in place ensure that the land will be available to lease subject to the project being granted development consent, securing our future ability to develop the land for solar energy production and energy storage.

As a responsible developer we are committed to transparency and ensuring fairness in the agreement process. All the option agreements with landowners for Light Valley Solar were signed voluntarily, with each landowner being advised by independent solicitors to ensure they fully understood the terms and implications so they could make an informed decision on whether to sign the agreement. 

The design life of the proposed solar project is expected to be around 60 years. If the project is consented, the permission would be temporary. When the time has lapsed, plans will be in place for the equipment to be removed, and the land reinstated to its original use.

Any extension of the life of Light Valley Solar would be dependent on new negotiations with landowners and new planning consent.