Project updates
Keep informed on progress towards installing Soay Solar Farm and Greener Grid Park at Thornton
Latest news
The deadline for applications to the Soay Solar & Greener Grid Park Community Fund is fast approaching.
If you have a project that focuses on energy efficiency and environmental improvements within the Parishes of Allerthorpe, Thornton, Melbourne, Barmby Moor, and Bielby in East Riding, now is the time to apply.
The Soay Solar & Greener Grid Park Community Fund, provided by Statkraft and administered by GrantScape, offers a total of £20,000 annually for 2024 and 2025. In 2026, the fund will increase to approximately £45,000 due to an additional one-off payment of £25,000 upon the commercial operations of the solar project.
Key details, including the size of grants available, criteria, and eligibility to apply can all be found on the Grantscape website: Soay Solar & Greener Grid Park Community Fund Criteria - Grantscape Grantscape.
Don’t miss this opportunity to secure funding for your project and contribute to a greener future for our community. Apply now before the deadline on 23 April 2025!
Residents may have noticed some activity on the area where the solar farm will be located. This is not the start of construction - we will host a residents "Drop In" session at the Allerthorpe Village Hall before works on the solar phase commence, likely to be late summer.
Below is an update on the three phases of work that make up the project. Please do get in contact if you have any questions, we'd be happy to hear from you.
Phase 1: High Voltage Yard (or HV Yard)
- construction complete
Phase 2: Battery Energy Storage System (or BESS)
- all BESS units installed
- approximately 10 HGVs per day during April & May
- scheduled to be completed late 2025
Phase 3: Solar
- not in construction
- construction contractor not yet appointed
- small areas of tree and vegetation removal taking place, ahead of bird nesting season
- two week programme of ground investigations currently underway
Community projects and organisations in the East Riding of Yorkshire have been urged to apply for the annual round of grants from the Soay Solar and Greener Grid Park Community Fund, which is now open.
Soay Solar and Greener Grid Park, currently under construction, provides a fund of £20,000 per year, specifically focussed on projects that deliver energy efficiency and environmental projects. All projects must be located in or delivered to benefit communities within the parishes of Allerthorpe, Thornton, Melbourne, Barmby Moor and Bielby.
The fund is independently administered through GrantScape, a leading UK community fund administrator, on behalf of Statkraft. The closing date for 2025’s applications is 23 April 2025.
Interested applicants can find more details about the fund and make applications via the online portal: https://grantscape.org.uk/fund/statkraft/soay/.
Applicants are also welcome to call GrantScape directly on 01908 247630 if they wish to discuss a project or need any help or advice on how to apply.
Project Manager Update:
The team are back on site after their well-deserved break over the Christmas period, and works continue to progress on schedule despite some challenges presented by the weather.
The end of February will see all the battery units installed on site, ready for testing before commissioning in summer.
As the site transitions from ground works to installation and electrical works, the number of people working on site and amount of traffic on local roads will continue to reduce.
Site Update
Construction to prepare for installation of the battery units in the autumn is progressing and contained to a relatively small area of the site.
Vehicle movements to the site will be reducing throughout autumn. We have extended road sweeping into Thornton to keep local roads clean. We would like to thank the community for their patience during this time and will continue to minimise local disruption
Community Benefit Fund
Community Benefit Fund applications for 2024 closed on 5th June. The Community Grant Panel have selected the following projects for funding, and we look forward to seeing them progress:
- Vale Watch - for farm security cameras
- Melbourne Primary School - for an outdoor classroom
- Allerthorpe Village Hall - for solar panels
- Allerthorpe Parish Council - for bus shelters on the A1079
We would like to thank all community groups that took the time to submit applications, and to the volunteers on Panel to help decide the successful projects. This is an annual fund and we encourage local groups to start thinking about applying next year. For more information visit www.grantscape.org.uk/statkraft/soay
Construction of the Soay Solar Farm and Greener Grid Park is progressing according to timetable. Construction to prepare for installation of battery units is contained to a relatively small area of the site.
Works have involved removing topsoil and receiving stone and gravel to the site. Vehicle movements to the site will be reducing over the summer months. We would like to thank you for your patience during this time, and we will continue to minimise any disruption to local roads where possible.
Read the full update sent to neighbours here.
A copy of this update has also been published in the August / September edition of the local Parish Newsletter.
Construction to prepare for installation of battery units is ongoing, contained to a relatively small area of the site.
Works have involved removing topsoil and receiving stone and gravel to the site. Vehicle movements to the site will be reducing over the summer months.
We would like to thank you for your patience during this time, and we will continue to minimise any disruption to local roads where possible.
Please see below an important note on recent power cuts.
Statkraft is using Thornton substation for works related to Soay Solar and Greener Grid Park. Local energy for households and businesses is provided by Northern Power Grid, which is not connected to Thornton Substation. This means our work onsite cannot have any impact on the local electricity supply.
Households and businesses close to Soay Solar Farm and Greener Grid Park have received a project update which includes details on the recently launched Community Benefit Fund and the latest news on construction.
Construction Latest
Construction and installation of the battery units for the Greener Grid Park has begun and is contained to a relatively small area of the site. H&MV Engineering have been appointed to prepare the ground for battery installation, which will continue into Autumn 2025. For a temporary period, HGV movements to the site will be higher than in previous months to facilitate greater levels of activity onsite. We are taking steps to minimise disruption on local roads through speed checks on vehicles and a temporary 30mph zone on Melbourne Road.
Community Benefit Fund Open
We are pleased to announce the Community Benefit Fund is now open to applications, with an initial sum of £20,000 available. The first closing date for this new fund is 5 June 2024. For more information and to apply, visit www.grantscape.org.uk/statkraft/soay
Yesterday the site team were made aware of a fault to the National Power Grid cable located outside the site entrance. Emergency traffic lights have been installed at the site entrance to allow investigations to be completed. We expect the investigations will be completed within the next day or so.
We are pleased to announce the Community Benefit Fund is now open to applications, with an initial sum of £20,000 available. The Fund will support community and environmental projects located across five parishes of Allerthorpe, Thornton, Melbourne, Barmby Moor and Bielby.
Applications will be administered through GrantScape, a leading UK community fund administrator, that has a track record of distributing over £90 million across almost 1,500 projects.
- From the beginning of construction, a fund of £20,000 will be made available every year for the life of the Greener Grid Park.
- Once the project is fully operational in 2026, an additional £25,000 will be added to the fund pot, giving community groups the chance to bid for a share of a total of £45,000 during that year.
- Applications are invited from eligible organisations that meet the criteria and are located within one of the five listed parishes.
- There is one application round each year. Organisations may apply for grants between £500 and £10,000.
- Applications for the first £20,000 annual fund are now being accepted and close on 5 June 2024.
The projects that are successful in gaining community benefit funding will complement the Soay Solar Farm and Greener Grid Park in securing East Yorkshire’s position at the forefront of action to combat climate change.
The first closing date for this new fund is 5 June 2024 and applicants will be notified of their application’s outcome by mid-July. A panel of community representatives will decide which applications are to be supported.
Applications can be made via the online portal: www.grantscape.org.uk/statkraft/soay/
Applicants are also welcome to call GrantScape directly on 01908 247630 if they wish to discuss a potential project or need any help on how to apply.
Cllr Leo Hammond, Wolds Weighton Ward Councillor, East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said: "I welcome this generous community fund provided voluntarily by Statkraft in relation to their new solar farm and grid stability development between Allerthorpe and Thornton. I am sure this will unlock great opportunities for and provide benefits to local communities."
Lucy Kent, Statkraft’s Principal Greener Grid Parks Project Manager said: “We’re pleased to have this fund open to applications so quickly after construction has started. Our thanks to the Allerthorpe and Thornton Parish Councils for their enthusiasm in helping us reach this stage, and their support in general to ensure a smooth construction process. We’re looking forward to seeing these community projects in action in the near future.”
The construction of Phase 1 (the small area of the site to upgrade the HV Yard) is at the halfway point. With the work now completed to widen the site entrance, the majority of the remaining work is taking place within the site. We do not anticipate the need for temporary traffic lights in future.
This month Phase 2 begins, which involves construction and installation of the battery units for the Greener Grid Park. Phase 2 is contained to a relatively small area of the site, and will access via the existing site entrance. During April expected vehicle movements will be around 7 per hour between 8am-5pm Monday to Friday.
There is one approved route for all construction traffic to enter and exit the site and we will be taking steps to ensure local roads remain safe and clean during this time including speed checks on vehicles and a temporary 30mph zone on Melbourne Road.
Works continue on grid connection works on a small portion of the site. Temporary traffic lights were recently installed at the site entrance. We had planned for these to be in place for one month, but work has progressed well and they will be removed in the next few days.
There is one approved route for all construction traffic to enter and exit the site. We're also taking steps to keep local roads clean and safe, including speed checks on vehicles, a temporary 30mph zone on Melbourne Road and road cleaning.
For Christmas, our construction partner Siemens Energy were delighted to donate alongside Statkraft to The People's Pantry Pocklington to support local people in the area through the festive period.
"Thank you so much to the Siemens Energy and Statkraft teams for their donation this Christmas. It made a real difference in supporting local vulnerable people and we really appreciate their generosity at what can be a difficult time for local families" - Heather, The People's Pantry Pocklington
Households and businesses close to Soay Solar Farm and Greener Grid Park have received a site update which includes the latest news on construction and a Local Supplier Spotlight.
Construction Latest
Construction began on site in October 2023 starting with mobilisation and grid connection works on a small portion of the site.
We will be installing temporary traffic lights for approximately one month at the site entrance early next year. We will keep you updated on this and as construction progresses but if you have any questions, or would like to receive project news via email please get in touch.
Local Supplier Spotlight
Local company The Ashcourt Group, have been a valuable supplier during this first phase of works. Based across Hull, Pocklington and Newton Aycliffe, The Ashcourt Group have been supporting the creation of an access road as part of our site mobilisation works. They’ve provided over 2,000 tonnes of recycled pipe bedding, as part of our commitment to sustainable supply chains.
We have submitted an application to make some minor changes to the original planning permission for the project.
A Section 73 planning amendment has been submitted (application reference: 23/03116/STVAR) to facilitate minor changes to the original planning permission, including updating the layout of the batteries, relocation of the sustainable drainage system and adjusting the design of the perimeter fencing to our battery storage systems and Greener Grid Park.
We will keep this website updated as construction progresses and if we submit any further design amendments. If you have any questions about construction, or would like to receive project news via email updates, please contact us.
Residents have been provided with a project update and informed how to contact us as construction commences. The project is being implemented in three stages, and at this time we can share information on Phase 1. The first two phases are limited to a relatively small portion of the site.
Three Phases of Construction
- Phase 1, 2023-2024: Site mobilisation and grid connection
- Phase 2, 2024-2025: Greener Grid Park construction
- Phase 3, 2025: Solar Farm construction
Phase 1: Site Mobilisation and Grid Connection
The purpose of this phase is to build a HV connection point before the construction of the Greener Grid Park and Solar Farm commences. The site entrance is located past the National Grid substation and vehicles will be accessing the site from Melbourne Road. We expect the works for this initial phase will be complete by the end of 2024. Note that there are works being carried out at the neighbouring site by National Grid, which is separate to our project.
Local Suppliers
A variety of goods and services will be required throughout construction - you can register your interest or recommend a local company via our suppliers register.
We will keep this website updated as construction progresses. If you have any questions about construction, or would like to receive project news via email updates, get in touch.
We are aware of a road closure sign which has recently been erected locally. This has not been organised by us and is not an area where we intend to do any works. We are investigating what this relates to and will share an update as soon as this becomes available.
Please be reassured that we are committed to keeping the community up to date on project-related information.
This year we have been busy progressing the many aspects required to enable construction. This includes some pre-commencement site investigation works that are now starting to be carried out.
Before construction we need to undertake assessments to establish ground conditions and the presence of anything of archaeological interest. This involves digging sample boreholes and, in relation to archaeology, “trial trenches” at multiple locations across the site.
This work will take approximately six weeks to complete and is carried out fairly early in the programme in order to:
- Identify the presence of anything of archaeological interest
- Contribute to research and knowledge of local history and where relevant, plan for the preservation of anything found
- Reduce the chances of delay during construction should archaeological features be found.
Whilst the start of this work could appear that construction activity has commenced, we want to assure the public that these are short term pre-commencement surveys. We will keep this website updated as details become available regarding construction, or you can email us at ukprojects@statkraft.com to be added to our mailing list.
We are delighted that our plans for a new solar energy farm and Greener Grid Park have been approved by East Riding District Council.
The new development will generate enough electricity to power 18,000 homes, boost the production of domestic energy and accelerate the UK’s transition to net-zero.
We would like to thank everyone who engaged with us throughout the planning process and provided feedback. We are committed to being a good neighbour and look forward to continuing to engage positively with the local community and stakeholders.
We have carefully considered all feedback submitted to East Riding of Yorkshire Council’s consultation on our planning application as well as feedback from parish meetings.
We are delighted to make several changes to the plans, making sure that the proposals reflect community priorities.
The changes include:
Removal of panels near Warren Farm Cottages
As requested by residents, we have removed panels from field N2, which will remain available for agricultural use. This will further preserve the wellbeing of local residents in and around Warren Farm.
Moving of construction compound
The temporary construction compound for the solar farm has been moved 135m north, even further away from Warren Farm. This will now be more than 340m from the nearest residential property, minimising any disturbance to local people.
Amendment of construction access route
The proposed access route for construction and operation has been amended, as requested by local residents, so it will not pass close to properties at Warren Farm. Vehicles associated with the Development will no longer travel along the section of the Public Right of Way closest to Warren Farm
Removal of equipment close to power lines
At the request of National Grid, no above-ground infrastructure is now proposed within the maximum swing distance of overhead powerlines on the site, to ensure there are no barriers to maintenance.
Whilst unrelated to the design changes and not a material consideration for planning, improvements have been made to the community benefits package which was set out in the Community Benefit Statement previously submitted.
In addition to the first-year sum of £65,000 for community projects, an ongoing fund of £20,000 per annum throughout the life of the project and will be made available starting from the second year of operation. This fund will be directed towards projects that support the transition to renewable energy, help to reduce fuel poverty and/or support the electrification of transport in the area.
A full list of amendments to the planning application can be downloaded from the ‘Planning Application Documents’ section.
Solar Energy UK have released a new report highlighting the benefits of harnessing the sun’s power.
Statkraft has now submitted a planning application to East Riding District Council for a new Solar Farm and Greener Grid Park between the parishes of Allerthorpe and Thornton (application reference 21/04505/STPLF(External link)).
In the last 100 years bumblebee populations have crashed, with two species becoming extinct in the UK.
For the sixth consecutive year, Statkraft have released its Low Emissions Scenario - an analysis of the energy world towards 2050.
The Soay Solar Farm and Greener Grid Park are often talked about in the same breath, but whereas they are certainly complimentary, they are in fact, different projects.
As a passive process, solar energy generation is one of the quietest ways to create renewable electricity and with extensive screening proposed for the Soay Solar Farm and the Greener Grid Park, we are committed to ensuring the developments impact on people’s lives in a positive way.
Through this project, we are proud to be supporting the Rare Breeds Survival Trust(External link). This project is named after the Soay breed, classified as "At Risk" on the sheep watchlist.
A website has been launched today to share details of an exciting new renewable energy project near Thornton, East Riding of Yorkshire.
