Project information

Project location

Whitestone is a proposed solar farm that would be located in South Yorkshire, between Rotherham and Doncaster. The project is located across three sections, Whitestone 1 in the north near Conisbrough, Whitestone 2 in the centre around Ulley, and Whitestone 3, in the south near Harthill and Woodall.

The project would connect into the new National Grid substation near Brinsworth on Long Lane. Underground cables would connect the three sections of the project together and into the grid connection.

The map to the right shows the ‘solar site’ in green. These areas would include solar panels and other infrastructure as well as the areas set aside for wildlife. The areas shown in blue are for the underground cables and access roads. After construction, these cables would be not be visible and normal activities could continue above them.

Detailed proposals

The detailed masterplans are shown to the right and in the links below. These maps show the indicative project design, including the areas for solar panels, substations, and battery storage.

The masterplans also show areas set aside for wildlife and environmental mitigation. These areas would be planted with a mix of native grasses and wildflowers to protect native wildlife and increase biodiversity.

The maps also show proposed landscaping to mitigate potential visual impacts. These trees and hedges would provide a natural screen to reduce views of the solar panels and other infrastructure.

Click here to view the updated masterplans for:

• Whitestone 1
• Whitestone 2
• Whitestone 3
• The whole project over 7 pages

Project Development

We have held two rounds on consultation on our proposals for Whitestone. Feedback from these consultations as well as the results of environmental and technical assessments have resulted in significant changes to the project design. Read on to learn more about how each component of the design has evolved in response to consultation feedback and environmental assessments.

Solar areas

We presented our initial proposals in Autumn 2024 during the first consultation. This original masterplan presented all of the land that we were considering to include in the project and those areas that could be used for solar panels and other infrastructure, known as the ‘developable area’ . In response to feedback from that consultation, we reduced these areas by a quarter to create offsets around homes, villages and public rights of way.  After the second consultation in Autumn 2025, we responded to feedback and further reduced these areas around homes, villages, and environmentally sensitive locations. The remaining developable area is now 37% smaller than the original proposals.

This map shows how the developable area has reduced over time in response to feedback. The total developable area is now 37% smaller than the initial masterplan.

This map shows the remaining developable area.

After the first consultation, we removed one quarter of the solar areas but left these areas within the project’s boundary for environmental mitigation and enhancement. During the second consultation, we heard from communities their concerns about potential impacts on agricultural production and agricultural jobs. Therefore, we reviewed all of these areas to determine if they were necessary. Wherever possible, any areas considered unnecessary have now been removed from the project and will continue under their current land use to maximise agricultural production. The remaining solar areas will be suitable for grazing sheep, which we will continue to explore as the project progresses.

This map shows the areas that have been removed from the project after the second consultation.

Cable routes 

Underground cables are needed to connect the solar areas together and into the National Grid substation. Most cables could be laid through open trenches, where the cable is laid approximately 1m below the ground level, and then soil is replaced on top. Through more sensitive areas, such as woodlands, highways, or streams, we may need to use trenchless crossing methods, such as Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD), which drills under the sensitive area and pulls the cable through.

During the second consultation, we were able to present options for the cable corridors that would be needed to connect the solar areas together and into the National Grid substation. These potential locations had been identified through environmental and technical assessments, and have now been refined in response to feedback from the consultation. We are now able to present the final locations for these cable corridors. Please note that the cable will only need a small area within the cable corridor that is indicated.

Substations and Batteries

In addition to the solar panels, the project would need three substations to collect the electricity, increase its voltage, and prepare it to connect into the National Grid. The project would also include a battery energy storage system that would store the energy after it is produced, and release it to the grid when it is needed most.

During the second consultation, we presented the potential locations where the substations and batteries could be located. These potential locations had been identified through environmental and technical assessments, and have now been refined in response to feedback from the consultation. We are now able to present the final locations for these components. There would be one substation in the centre of Whitestone 1, one substation in the southeastern portion of Whitestone 2, and then the main substation with batteries near Brinsworth. There is no substation needed for Whitestone 3. Please note that the substations will not need all of the space within the fields that are indicated.

Hover over the numbers in the graphic to the right to learn more about the technical components of the project.

Why solar?

The UK has committed to eliminating fossil fuels from the power supply, to provide energy security and reduce future energy costs while supporting the fight against climate change. Now that the last coal power station in the UK, Ratcliffe-on-Soar, has been closed down, new renewable energy sources are needed to come forward to keep the lights on. At the same time, our demand for electricity continues to increase and is projected to double by 2050. To meet these future energy needs, we must quickly ramp up production of renewable energy here in the UK.

The Clean Power 2030 mission sets a goal to triple solar capacity by 2030, while also ramping up onshore and offshore wind development. Solar and wind work well together, and a mix of both helps provide stability to the energy supply.

The Solar Roadmap explains how the UK will achieve the Clean Power mission and includes new mechanisms to increase rooftop solar installations. From 2027, most new homes will be required to include solar panels, known as the Future Homes Standard. We support the ‘rooftop revolution’ and continue to explore commercial rooftop installations as part of our broader business, but note that large scale solar developments are needed to produce enough energy to meet our national energy goals.