England’s Secretary of State has signed off the Fenwick Solar Farm Order 2026, clearing a nationally significant solar scheme north of Doncaster. Made on 18 February 2026 and coming into force on 11 March 2026, the decision authorises a ground‑mounted array with a gross output above 50 MW and associated battery storage. The statutory instrument is issued by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

This consent arrives with practical guardrails. The Secretary of State took environmental information into account under the Infrastructure Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017, and the Order compels detailed plans before work starts-from construction and operational environmental management to noise, soil and traffic controls approved by City of Doncaster Council.

Biodiversity is hard‑wired into the permission. The developer must deliver at least 20% biodiversity net gain for habitat units and 20% for hedgerows, plus 10% for watercourses, measured using the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs’ statutory metric (July 2025). A landscape and ecological management plan will secure delivery and long‑term aftercare across the site.

Water management is treated with the same care. A drainage strategy built around sustainable drainage systems-such as attenuation ponds and swales-must be approved in consultation with the Environment Agency. Discharges require consent, construction near watercourses is tightly controlled, and pollution prevention measures are mandatory throughout build and operation.

On storage, the battery facility cannot proceed without a battery safety management plan signed off by the council after consultation with South Yorkshire Fire and the Environment Agency. Designs include impermeable bunding, engineered containment for fire‑water and all‑weather access for emergency services to keep risks low and response fast.

Construction is managed to reduce nuisance. A Construction Environmental Management Plan will govern dust, noise and lighting, and a Construction Traffic Management Plan will fix delivery routes and timing with National Highways, Network Rail and the highways authority. Once operational, an approved Environmental Management Plan will control day‑to‑day performance, including waste and maintenance.

Local access and heritage are protected. Public rights of way can only be closed temporarily with signed diversions and a management plan; permanent changes require like‑for‑like alternatives. A framework archaeological strategy and site‑specific investigations must be delivered by Chartered Institute for Archaeologists‑registered teams to safeguard finds and records.

Farmland health is set out on a formal footing. A soil management plan must be approved before works begin, covering stripping, storage and reinstatement so agricultural grades are preserved alongside the solar arrays. This helps future‑proof food‑growing potential while the site hosts clean power.

People and skills feature prominently. A community liaison group must be established before construction to keep neighbours in the loop, and a skills, supply chain and employment plan will map local training and contracting opportunities, with the developer responsible for publicising them.

Grid connection is flexible but tightly controlled. The Order allows either a 400 kV cable link to National Grid’s Thorpe Marsh substation or a connection to an existing on‑site 400 kV tower-not both-with strong protections for National Grid assets and clear responsibilities on costs, access and safety.

The project’s life cycle is planned from day one. The undertaker must notify the council when the site first generates at commercial scale, then prepare a decommissioning environmental management plan at least 12 months before retirement. Decommissioning must start no later than 40 years after final commissioning, with a resource plan to minimise waste and maximise recovery.

For residents, this means a solar farm that arrives with environmental guardrails and transparent engagement. Expect early ecological surveys, archaeology and limited preparatory works once pre‑commencement conditions are discharged after 11 March 2026, with advanced planting used to screen views as habitat creation gets under way.