The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has signed the Byers Gill Solar (Correction) Order 2025, a short legal instrument that fixes drafting errors in the original development consent. It took effect on Monday 27 October 2025 and keeps the consent watertight without reopening the decision itself.

Consent for the scheme was originally granted in July and came into force on 14 August as the Byers Gill Solar Order 2025 (S.I. 2025/934). The project covers around 490 hectares with an on‑site battery energy storage system and a grid connection to the Norton substation near Stockton‑on‑Tees. The applicant is RWE Renewables UK Solar and Storage Limited.

Byers Gill sits between Darlington and Stockton‑on‑Tees in North East England. RWE describes it as a 180 MW solar farm co‑located with battery storage, positioning it as one of the region’s larger clean power builds. The location claim comes from the developer, but it aligns with the government’s published consent documentation.

What does a correction order actually do? Under Schedule 4 of the Planning Act 2008, ministers can correct an “error or omission” in the decision document, provided local planning authorities are notified. This mechanism alters the legal text where needed but does not revisit the statement of reasons for the decision. In short, the original consent stands, as corrected.

For contractors, councils and residents, today’s news is essentially about certainty. A clean consent record allows the team to move on with pre‑construction conditions and contracting. Co‑located storage will help smooth solar output and support a more flexible grid-an approach the Climate Change Committee and system planners view as vital to a reliable, low‑carbon power system.

How much power is at stake? RWE says the 180 MW scheme could supply roughly 70,000 typical homes. That estimate tallies with a back‑of‑the‑envelope check using Ofgem’s 2,700 kWh “typical” annual household electricity use and the ~10–11% UK solar load factor used in government calculations for the Renewables Obligation.

This project also tracks with national goals. The Clean Power 2030 Action Plan and NESO’s latest planning assumptions point to around 45–47 GW of solar by 2030, with scope for more if rooftop deployment accelerates. Large, storage‑ready sites in the North East help build the firmed capacity needed alongside that rooftop growth.

If you are a landowner, rights holder or community group along the connection route, the practical next step is to read the Correction Notice schedule to see exactly which clauses were tidied up and whether any wording relevant to you changed. DESNZ has published the notice and order; the project team also maintains an information site for local enquiries.

Looking ahead, biodiversity net gain for nationally significant infrastructure projects is proposed to apply from May 2026. While Byers Gill’s consent predates that start date, many developers are already designing nature‑positive measures into schemes to de‑risk future requirements and secure local support.

Bottom line: this is an administrative fix that provides legal clarity for a 180 MW solar‑plus‑storage project in the North East. It keeps momentum behind clean power build‑out at a time when the CCC says deployment must accelerate through the 2020s to keep the UK on course.