Three MPs Oppose 3,500-Acre Doncaster, Rotherham Solar Farm Plan

Several large-scale solar farm projects in the UK are facing opposition despite their potential to contribute to national energy goals and renewable targets. The proposed 3,500-acre Whitestone Solar Farm between Doncaster and Rotherham has drawn criticism from local MPs who argue it is too large, improperly located, and threatens valuable agricultural land, though developers highlight its importance for energy infrastructure. In Norfolk, efforts to prevent solar farms on prime agricultural land from being classified as Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects have been rejected by the House of Lords, maintaining government ministers' authority over approvals rather than local councils. Meanwhile, Cornwall is set to build the Fairpark solar farm, a 125,000-panel installation on 80 hectares of agricultural land, after a planning inspector overturned local council opposition, citing the project's wider public benefits and commitment to biodiversity enhancements and community energy initiatives. Despite protests and concerns about cumulative impacts from multiple renewable schemes nearby, officials have judged that the benefits of these solar projects outweigh the environmental and landscape harms, highlighting the ongoing tension between renewable energy development and local land use priorities.