20240524 - 03

Welcome to

New Acres Solar

Project Introduction

We are developing plans for a 27 megawatt (MW), 40 hectare solar farm within a 60 hectare site. It is located at New Acres Farm, approximately 1.4km south of Stanley, County Durham.

Following valuable feedback from the community during our consultation event, we have re-named the proposed solar farm from “Holmside Solar Farm” to “New Acres Solar.” 
 
This change reflects our commitment to incorporating local input and we apologies for any confusion the previous name may have caused.
 
All documents generated prior to this change will retain the former name to accurately represent the context at that time. All documents created after the name change will reflect the updated name.

The proposed development would transform seven fields, currently used for agriculture, into a renewable source of energy. The fields are currently rated as poor quality (grade 4) agricultural land. 

The proposals will include the implementation of rows of Solar arrays, seeding the entire site with wildflower seed mix as grassland, planting native vegetation, enhancing existing hedges, and habitat creation – designed to enhance biodiversity. 

Typically, our solar farms achieve over 100% biodiversity net gain (BNG), even as much as 200% and more.

Public Rights of Way would be accommodated within and by the development, with mitigation landscape planting to minimise visual impact. 

Produce 27 Megawatts of clean energy - enough to power 12,800 homes every year.

Save 400,000 tonnes of CO2 over the 40-year lifetime of the solar farm.

Our Community Benefit Fund becomes available upon connection to the grid

Provide environmental improvements, including on-site biodiversity net gain and landscaping.

Community consultation

The community consultation closed at 23:59 on Sunday, 18th August. You will have the opportunity to submit your views as part of the formal planning consultation process, held by Durham County Council. This is expected to commence in October 2024. 

You are invited to share your views on the proposal – we want to hear your feedback and will consider your comments carefully. 

We will adapt and amend our initial design to reflect your feedback where possible.

We will upload all documentation when it is available. 

We invite you to share your comments in any of the following ways:

  • Use the online form here
  • Send us a letter via our freepost address: FREEPOST ASE 
  • Attend the public drop-in meeting at any time between 2.30pm and 7pm on the 26th of July
  • Email us at contact@ampyrsolareurope.com 

New Acres Solar plans are an early stage of development. We are committed to listening to the people and community who will be its neighbours. We will demonstrate this commitment by: 

  • Incorporating your views into a revised design wherever possible and practical.
  • Actively inviting your views on how we can provide direct benefits to you via our Community Benefit Fund. The fund will be available once the site is connected to the National Grid – although this may take some time, we want to start these conversations now.
  • Using local suppliers and employing local staff where possible.

Communities who host large solar sites are asked to support the national benefits of renewable energy. We want to provide the advantages of solar power directly to the local community. Some communities wish to use their funds to create an energy cooperative, fully supported by solar energy experts at Ampyr. This is a route to cheaper energy prices for residents in the immediate and surrounding area.

Who We Are

Ampyr Solar Europe was formed in 2021, when Ampyr Energy UK incorporated NaGa Solar into its portfolio. 

We provide clean, renewable energy by operating solar sites across the UK, Germany and The Netherlands. We are proud to contribute to the local and global pursuit of Net Zero Carbon emissions. Our solar farms can help address the climate emergency.   

Much of our growing, 7-Gigawatt, portfolio is in development, helping us to become a leading, independent power producer. Our clear organisational mission [https://www.ampyrsolareurope.com/vision-strategy] – to partner with land owners, communities and power users to harness solar energy for a positive impact on the environment and people. 

You can see our full portfolio here https://www.ampyrsolareurope.com/portfolio

Why does the UK need solar farms?

All coal-fired power stations must close by 2025, and there is a national transition to low-carbon sources of energy.  The UK is required by law to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. 

As this large-scale shift in power source happens, the National Grid estimates UK electricity consumption to double by 2050. 

Solar energy is a crucial source of low-carbon power and will help to keep the nation fully powered well beyond 2050. 

Energy security is a national priority alongside decarbonisation. Solar energy is affordable, renewable and sustainable.

Energy prices in the UK are among the highest in Europe, and solar power generation plays a vital role in helping to drive down energy costs. 

In its current form, New Acres Solar would have a clean energy output of 27 Megawatts – enough to power 12,800 houses a year and save 400,000 tonnes of CO2 over its lifetime.