Labour has approved a 1,300‑acre solar installation on prime agricultural land in Ed Miliband’s South Yorkshire constituency, despite dozens of objections from local residents.
The Fenwick scheme, brought forward by Boom Power, will convert an area equivalent to around 650 football pitches into solar arrays and battery‑storage facilities.
The decision was signed off by junior energy minister Alan Whitehead rather than the Energy Secretary himself.
Mr Miliband, who represents the area in Parliament, recused himself from the process because the development falls within his constituency, although such approvals would ordinarily rest with him in his role as Energy Secretary.
The application was examined by the Planning Inspectorate, which said it had given “full consideration to all local views and the evidence gathered during the examination” before granting consent.
Dozens of residents submitted objections raising concerns about the impact on the countryside and the local community.
Janet Raynor told inspectors the proposal had caused deep divisions in Fenwick village.
“This plan has divided the residents, setting family against family, friend against friend and neighbour against neighbour, and it has ruined any community spirit which existed in Fenwick village,” she wrote.
The Fenwick scheme will convert an area equivalent to around 650 football pitches into solar arrays
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Ms Raynor said the development had created tension between landowners who could benefit financially and neighbours whose surroundings would be permanently altered.
Supporters of the project argue it will strengthen clean‑energy generation in the region and contribute to national net‑zero targets.
But objectors raised concerns about the loss of productive farmland.
Mark Henstock said: “The land in question is high‑quality farmland, essential for local food production and employment… the permanent removal of this land from agricultural use is unacceptable.”
The scheme is set to happen in Doncaster
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Chris Teal warned of potential financial consequences for homeowners near the site, saying: “House prices will decrease dramatically during and after the proposed site, thus seriously damaging people’s retirement plans and futures.”
Boom Power, headquartered in Arundel, West Sussex, has an international shareholder structure. Director Mark Hogan holds 50 per cent of shares, while Munich‑based Pelion New Energy owns 37.5 per cent and German investor W Power GmbH holds 12.5 per cent.
The company is understood to have selected the South Yorkshire site due to its proximity to a substation at the former Thorpe Marsh Power Station, enabling connection to the national transmission network.
Mr Hogan said the project would provide benefits for wildlife, local landowners and investors.
Local residents have spoken out against the development
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Rosie Pearson, chair of the Community Planning Alliance, criticised the approval.
“While climate change must be addressed, it must not come at the expense of our beloved historic landscapes, the food they produce and the people and wildlife that live there,” she said.
“This Government seems hell‑bent on destroying everything that is so special and important about the British countryside, with a crazed industrialisation programme.”
The approval adds to a growing number of large‑scale renewable‑energy projects progressing through the planning system as the Government seeks to expand solar capacity across England.