Our Proposals

Brailsford Solar Park would deliver the following benefits:

Contribute towards national energy independence by expanding British energy production capabilities, safeguarding the nation against geopolitical pressures by reducing reliance on imported fossil fuels.
Generates business rates for Derbyshire Dales District Council, creating extra revenue to support council-run community services in the local area.
Assisting Derbyshire Dales District Council in tackling its declared Climate Emergency and helping to achieve its net zero targets.
Provide a minimum biodiversity net gain of 60%, exceeding the 10% minimum target outlined in the Environment Act 2021. This will be achieved through measures such as planting new hedgerows and establishing wildflower meadows and animal habitats.
It will be fully decommissioned after its 40-year lifespan, with all infrastructure removed and the land returned to agricultural use.
Provide a secure and reliable supply of clean electricity to help meet the Government’s targets of net zero carbon emissions.
Given that the site is temporary, and intensive farming can be harmful to soil quality, this site will provide valuable fallow years from farming to allow the land to recover naturally, improving soil quality and leaving it in better condition for future agricultural use.
Sheep grazing is being considered to allow continued agricultural use and support ecological maintenance of the solar park.

Why is the project proposed here?

This site has been carefully selected as part of a detailed feasibility process. Consideration has been given to a number of factors, including:

Ecology and biodiversity
Flood risk
Landscape character
Noise considerations
Transport considerations
Grid capacity
Land availability
Residential amenity
Environmental
Designations
Heritage assets

The global climate is changing faster than we have ever seen before. By supporting renewable energy schemes, such as the proposed site at Brailsford, we are taking an important step forward in the fight against climate change and will be contributing towards a secure and stable supply of electricity for the UK during uncertain times.

Our Nature Protection Pledge reflects our dedication to considering nature in everything we do. We are taking positive action for the planet and the communities in which we operate. By increasing biodiversity and supporting healthy ecosystems on the land under our stewardship, we are making a real impact.

Our multi-functional approach to land use combines clean energy generation, agricultural support and nature enhancement.

Learn more about our nature protection pledge

This layout plan shows the proposed layout for our Brailsford Solar Park proposals.

This indicative site layout shows that the site will include Solar PV arrays, an underground cable, access tracks, security gates and CCTV.

The total site area for the solar park is 150.8 hectares. However, this is subject to environmental surveys and assessments, which will be used to refine the design. Detailed designs are still being developed, and we are committed to keeping you informed. We will provide additional information as the design evolves.

Landscaping, including extensive biodiversity enhancements, is proposed to screen the development and to minimise the impact of the solar park on its surroundings. The scheme will also include other biodiversity and landscape enhancement measures to provide a significant biodiversity net gain.

Community Benefit

We are pleased to announce our intention to provide a Community Benefit Fund alongside our proposals of up to £325,000, which would directly support local projects and benefit the local community.

We are keen to hear your ideas on how we could work together to deliver this fund. Feel free to get in touch with us via email, this website, or have a chat with one of our team at our public consultation event.