Lightsource bp to hold community consultation event for new Retford solar farm proposal

Lightsource bp, a global leader in the development and management of solar energy projects, will be outlining their proposal to fund, develop and build a 49.9MW solar farm and associated battery storage on 158 acres of land at Tiln Lane, Retford, DN22 9JH, at an online Q&A session on Thursday 8th October. Lightsource bp is inviting residents from the surrounding area to join the session via the internet, where further information will be made available on the proposals.

Our team are aware that not everyone has access to the internet, and encourages those who are unable to join the online session to call 0333 200 0755 or write to the Environmental Planning & Sustainability Team, at Lightsource bp, 7th floor 33 Holborn, London, E1CN 2HU.

The community information event will be held online on Thursday 8th October, starting from 7:30 pm, and interested parties can join via the following link: https://primetime.bluejeans.com/a2m/live-event/yqpjarvu. The Lightsource bp team will show a brief video outlining the proposals for the solar project, and will then take Q&A to answer any queries and gather feedback from the local community.

The proposed solar farm will provide enough locally-generated, clean renewable energy to power 14,230 homes, saving 14,550 tonnes of carbon emissions every year, the equivalent of taking 3,230 large family cars off the roads. This project is a key facet of Lightsource bp’s mission to rapidly accelerate the transition to a low carbon future.

As well as generating clean energy, Lightsource bp solar farms are designed so that they also act as a haven for local wildlife. A bespoke Biodiversity Management Plan will be developed in conjunction with the planning application, and our planting, seeding and habitat creation plans will focus on native species.

Alongside our biodiversity initiatives, the proposed layout for the solar farm at Tiln Farm has been designed in such a way that most of the open grassland on the site will be suitable for grazing small livestock, allowing the land to retain the potential for agricultural use. Wide grassy avenues will be left between the rows of solar panels, to reduce shading and optimise the amount of sunlight each row of panels receives. This will leave around 70% of the solar farm as open grassland, ideal for grazing livestock, while the panels provide shade, shelter and protection for sheep.

The proposed fields have been chosen because they are well-screened by local topography and existing planting, which would limit any surrounding views of the solar farm.

Penny Laurenson, Director of Environmental Planning and Sustainability, Lightsource bp said:

“Solar energy is not only clean and renewable, but it also generates locally-produced electricity. This makes solar an important part of meeting the global rise in energy demand efficiently and more sustainably, which is a core aspect of Lightsource bp’s sustainability mission.

Safety is one of our core values, and in order to keep to the standards of community engagement that we’ve set as a company in the current global situation, we’re replacing our physical community
consultation with an online Q&A session where the local community can obtain all necessary information about our proposals and provide feedback. We want to ensure that local communities in and around the proposed location have all the information they need about this project.”

Residents can obtain further information on the project, at any time, by getting in touch with the Lightsource bp team via info@lightsourcebp.com quoting Tiln Farm, or by visiting the project page.