The UK government has granted development consent for the Helios Renewable Energy Project, a nationally significant 190MW solar farm with battery storage in North Yorkshire. The decision was issued on 3 December 2025 following a full Planning Act 2008 examination. ([gov.uk](Link

Planned on about 475–476 hectares between Camblesforth and Hirst Courtney, Helios will export power via underground cabling to National Grid’s Drax 132kV substation. The scheme’s expected annual output is equivalent to the electricity needs of roughly 47,500 homes. ([thegazette.co.uk](Link

The applicant is Enso Green Holdings D Limited, a joint venture co‑developed by Enso Energy and Cero Generation. The application was submitted in July 2024, accepted later that month, and recommended to ministers in September 2025 before being approved in December. ([solarpowerportal.co.uk](Link

Consent comes with a detailed environmental management regime. Before construction, Helios must secure approval for its construction environmental and traffic plans, protect public rights of way during works, and publish a long‑term operational plan. A supply‑chain, employment and skills plan is also required to lock in local benefits. ([legislation.gov.uk](Link

Nature is hard‑wired into the consent. The landscape and ecological management plan must demonstrate measurable biodiversity gains using Defra’s statutory metric, with monitoring and adaptive management throughout the project’s life. Government policy recognises that well‑designed solar can lift a site’s biodiversity value beyond baseline. ([gov.uk](Link

Flood resilience is mandatory. A flood management strategy must be approved for the battery and substation compounds, including protective bunding and level‑for‑level floodplain compensation based on site‑specific modelling, reflecting climate allowances through the scheme’s lifetime. This aligns with national guidance for renewable energy infrastructure. ([gov.uk](Link

Safety sits alongside performance. A Battery Safety Management Plan must be agreed in consultation with North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue and the Environment Agency, covering detection, suppression, access and water supplies, and emergency procedures across construction, operation and decommissioning. ([northyorksfire.gov.uk](Link

Living alongside Helios is part of the design brief. The order caps operational noise using the BS 4142 method to protect nearby homes, requires a glint‑and‑glare strategy in consultation with Burn Gliding Club, and secures planting, hedgerow creation and seasonal grazing to keep the land productive while improving habitats.

Community access matters too. The consent enables permissive paths, while archaeological safeguards and soil management plans are set for each phase. Taken together, the conditions are designed to make a large energy scheme fit well within a working rural landscape. ([legislation.gov.uk](Link

What’s next: the developer will finalise detailed designs and the pre‑construction plans set out in the consent. With a consented operational life of around 40 years and co‑located storage to balance the grid, Helios adds firmed clean capacity close to one of Britain’s key power hubs at Drax. ([ensoenergy.co.uk](Link