STOP Green Hill Solar farm - the size of Heathrow in Northants
STOP Green Hill Solar farm - the size of Heathrow in Northants
Latest: June 10, 2026
Awaiting the Planning Inspectorate Recommendation
A PLANNING INSPECTORATE RECOMMENDATION IS EXPECTED SUMMER 2026. FINAL DECISION BY ED MILIBAND, SECRETARY OF STATE FOR TENERGY AND NET ZERO
The Examination is now closed and the Planning Inspectorate w…
Read moreLocal people and volunteers across Northamptonshire villages, together with local organisations and MPs, are fighting an enormous solar farm: at just under 3,000 acres it will be the size of Heathrow. It will severely impact many communities, rural landscapes, protected habitats and heritage areas. A massive battery storage plant (BESS), with inherent dangers of fire and subsequent pollutants, will be among the biggest BESS in UK.
STOP Green Hill Solar does not object to solar power, but wants it in the right place: the rooftops of Northants and brownfield sites, not next to residential communities and sensitive rural, ecological and heritage areas.
Green Hill Solar is so big it is a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project, like HS2, and will be decided by government, not local planners. Farmers and land tenants have already been forced to lose land; other compulsory land access and acquisition will affect many others.
Effectively fighting these plans requires lawyers and specialists, who are advising on the effects of this massive solar industrialisation on communities, heritage, birds, wildlife, the waterways, and fire risks and pollutants from BESS.
Fighting Green Hill Solar demands substantial funds to cover these costs.
In place for a 'temporary' 60 years, Green Hill Solar will be sited entirely on productive agricultural land (66.6% on BMV fields), and no longer producing food. It will surround some villages and spoil many others, with a further 20km of underground cable routes affecting more residents, communities, road and rural users. The massive BESS facility adjacent to protected environmental sites in the Nene Valley and flood plains, could have disastrous consequences for SSSi, RAMSAR and SPA habitats if contaminated run-off enters the water course. Two years of construction, six days a week, with additional vehicles, outsize HGV traffic and machinery and up to 800 workers a day will change the areas we live in, bringing chaos and further destroying local roads.
Green Hill Solar, its two million solar panels, new sub stations, cable routes and massive BESS facility will change the area for ever.
Please help stop Green Hill Solar's devastation and industrialisation of rural Northants. Stop the loss of thousands of acres food-producing land, wildlife habitats, heritage village areas and rural landscapes. This project does NOT provide cheaper electricity, does NOT provide local benefits: the UK already has more solar projects in the planning pipeline than needed.
Developer confirms once built, Green Hill Solar will be sold to investors in UK or overseas. 
STOP Green Hill Solar needs your financial support, NOW. We cannot do it alone without legal and specialist advice and representatives.
Please contribute and share this page, we have only ONE MONTH.
What's next? A Development Consent Order application is expected by the developers in May 2025. The Examination period will start in the following weeks. STOP Green Hill Solar has a top Barrister standing by and experts on hand, but we must fund them.
How much do we need? Our initial target is £3,000 in four weeks for legal fees, but it will not be enough for the fight! An estimated £30,000-£50,000 will be eventually needed.
ANY contribution you can afford will be used to fight this travesty.
Thank you in advance.
Links
https://www.stopgreenhillsolar.co.uk/about/
https://www.cpre.org.uk/news/rooftops-can-provide-over-half-our-solar-energy-targets-report-shows/
STOP Green Hill Solar
June 10, 2026
Awaiting the Planning Inspectorate Recommendation
A PLANNING INSPECTORATE RECOMMENDATION IS EXPECTED SUMMER 2026. FINAL DECISION BY ED MILIBAND, SECRETARY OF STATE FOR TENERGY AND NET ZERO
The Examination is now closed and the Planning Inspectorate will make their recommendation by the end of July.
The final decision will be made by Ed Miliband, Secretary of State for Energy and Net Zero
The results will be published on the Planning Inspectorate web site below
https://national-infrastructure-consenting.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/projects/EN010170
STOP Green Hill Solar
March 20, 2026
Our MP's come out fighting!
Sarah Bool M.P. for South Northamptonshire and Stuart Andrew M.P. for Daventry both attended the Open Floor Hearing last week at the Hilton Collingtree.
Both Sarah and Stuart spoke passionately and were incredibly supportive in our fight to STOP Green Hill Solar.
Having such unequivocal support from two heavyweight politicians is a hugely important step in our campaign.
You can see their representations here
Stuart @ 17.04 mins
Sarah @ 28.38 mins
STOP Green Hill Solar
Feb. 6, 2026
We delivered a petition to Downing Street!
STOP Greenhill Solar representatives with support from two local MPs Sarah Bool and Stuart Andrew delivered a petition to Downing Street on Wednesday 4th Feb.
Sarah Bool MP, Member of Parliament for South Northamptonshire, said: “It has been clear to my constituents since the plans for Green Hill Solar Farm were released that it is wrong. This development will cover swathes of prime agricultural land in solar panels at a time when we should be prioritising food security as a key tenet of national security
"The reasons to oppose this development are extensive and the voices of residents loud. Ed Miliband should listen to these concerns before he blindly signs off this plan.”
Stuart Andrew MP, Member of Parliament for Daventry, added: “The sheer size and scale of this proposal is staggering and will have a huge impact on the countryside and so many local villages. It will also mean the loss of agricultural land at a time when we should be thinking about food security, particularly given the current global situation"
"Having written to residents in the area I have received literally hundreds and hundreds of responses opposing this scheme due to the detrimental impact it will have on the local environment. It’s time for the Government to listen to those voices and stop imposing proposals like this on local people. Their voices matter and that is why I am backing them 100 per cent in this fight.”
STOP Green Hill Solar
Nov. 4, 2025
URGENT DEADLINE Friday 7th November
If you were one of those who registered for relevant representation back in August, you will have received an RR number (relevant representation number), via email at the time (on or around 14th August.)
The Inspectorate has now set a timetable for the hearing, which is expected to take 6 months and the first deadline where you can have YOUR say is Friday 7th November.
If you wish to comment upon the proposal by the developers you must do so by this Friday 7th November. You can make your representation by visiting the planning inspectorate Green Hill Solar site and clicking on the have your say link.here
Every submission will be read by the Inspectorate, PLEASE HAVE YOUR SAY about whatever is close to your heart, ecology, heritage, landscape, transport, BESS security, health and wellbeing and maybe together we can defeat this misguided proposal.
STOP Green Hill Solar
Sept. 24, 2025
Preliminary meeting called for 21st October by The Planning Inspectorate
The Planning Inspectorate (ExA) have scheduled a prelininary meeting for 21st October for those who submitted a relevant representation to discuss the procedure of the examination together with a draft timetable. It is invitation only.
In total 1254 interested parties submitted representations, which is a huge response - thank you!
If you are an interested party and wish to attend the meeting, you need to register by 7th October. You can attend in person or online, or submit a written response. Full details are on the Planning Inspectorate -Green Hill page here
Post the meeting, the Inspectorate will publish a timetable detailing the steps in the examination process, through to March 2026.
We, at SGHS, have been working tirelessly with our experts and fully intend to fight hard through the examination. Please continue to give generously to help support our efforts - every penny is needed and appreciated!
STOP Green Hill Solar
July 10, 2025
IMPORTANT UPDATE Its time to have your say!
The Planning Inspectorate has received the full Development Consent Order (DCO) application from Green Hill Solar and ‘accepted’ it for Examination. The process now enters the Pre-Examination stage.
Now is the time to register, if you wish to submit comments and have your voice heard by the Planning Inspectorate during the Examination period.
If you do not register NOW, any comment that you might wish to make, in writing or potentially in person, may not be considered.
You can register here: The deadline to register is 14 August 2025.
You can view the full project detail here: it is thoroughly detailed in nearly 600 documents!
We urge you to take time to go through the key planning documents such as The Land Plan A here
The registration process requires you to detail some reasons you wish to ‘have your say’.
DON’T BE PUT OFF REGISTERING!
STOP Green Hill Solar
May 21, 2025
Your donations have secured our barrister!
Your incredible donation brings our fighting fund close to our current target of £10,000! This secures the services of our specialist barrister.
And we’re not finished yet. After £10,000 we’ll be pushing the target to £30,000 and up to £50,000, to ensure we have the legal support to STOP Green Hill Solar!
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