Improvements to the JBM Solar/RWE Byers Gill Solar Farm – which will help directly to tackle the cost of living crisis by generating cheap renewable energy for the equivalent of over 70,000 homes – have been announced following the consultation held in the summer. These enhancements are an important step before we submit our application.

The plans, developed by JBM Solar (now part of RWE, the UK’s leading power generator), are for a solar and battery storage farm that would also help tackle the climate crisis by saving over 4,220,000 tonnes of carbon compared to fossil fuel generation.

Since the Statutory Consultation closed in June, we have been working hard on the feedback received and seeking to accommodate change where possible. We have published a newsletter detailing all of the changes made, which include: a reduction in panel heights, reducing the number of panels, setting panel areas back from areas highlighted as important to the community, and altering construction traffic access routes to some panel areas to avoid villages.

The newsletter has been published on the project website – www.byersgillsolarfarm.co.uk – alongside a number of videos explaining the changes. These are also available on a new project Facebook page, which can be found at www.facebook.com/ByersGillSolar.

In a commitment to keep the community updated, JBM Solar/RWE is inviting residents to attend a project update webinar on Wednesday 29th November - sign up at the project website or come and talk to the team at The Flea Market, Finkle St, Stockton-on-Tees TS18 1AR on Saturday 25 November.

Changes have also been made to the community benefits offer. At the consultation a £600,000 community fund was proposed, payable in a lump sum at the start of construction. This has now been increased to an annual payment of £39,600 for 40 years, totalling £1,584,000. JBM Solar/RWE is in dialogue with elected representatives in the region to explore opportunities for JBM Solar/RWE to make further positive contributions to the community.

Micheal Baker, Byers Gill Project Manager, comments: “We’d like to thank everybody who took part in our consultation. We have made sure that every comment has been read and considered by the team, and where possible, we have implemented design changes or updated how we’re presenting the impacts of the project. Where we haven’t been able to implement a matter raised in the consultation, our Consultation Report will set out a justification for why this is when it is submitted alongside our application.”

JBM Solar/RWE is aiming to submit a planning application to the Planning Inspectorate in January 2024, marking the next milestone in this ambitious project.

Further information on the project can be found at www.byersgillsolarfarm.co.uk