Residents and mayoral candidates oppose huge Doncaster solar farm at meeting
Hundreds of people from villages across Doncaster packed into a public meeting to oppose plans for a huge solar farm near to the city.
Proposals have been drawn up for the Whitestone development, which would be situated on land between Doncaster and Rotherham near to Conisbrough.
Concerned residents packed into the Ivanhoe Centre in Conisbrough to discuss the project and were joined by mayoral candidate hopefuls Ros Jones (Labour) and Nick Fletcher (Conservative) while a statement was read out on behalf of Alexander Jones (Reform).
Residents from communities including Micklebring, Braithwell, Ravenfield, Clifton and Conisbrough could all be impacted by the plans for an industrial scale 750mw development including over 1,000 acres of Conisbrough Parks, a green belt site and an area designated by City of DoncasterCouncil as an “area of special landscape value.”
The meeting, organised by the local campaign group “Save our Green Belt, Conisbrough Parks” was set up to spread the word about the industrial scale destruction faced by local communities, organisers said.
“The turnout was amazing, over 300 local people packed the hall to find out more about our campaign to resist this industrial solar factory,” said Philip Knight, one of the campaign organisers.
“We are not a NIMBY group, we support renewable generation, but it should be on brownfield sites first, rooftops and industrial spaces, not land that has remained unchanged for over one thousand years. It’s not a case of not in my back yard - development like this should not be in anyone’s back yard”.
Mr Knight added: “In a rare expression of political unity, Labour, Conservatives and Reform oppose the Whitestone development and committed to support all the local communities in the fight to stop Whitestone.”
Ros Jones said: “I fully understand the concerns that are being raised in relation to this proposed large scale solar development at Conisbrough. I am a firm believer that solar panels should be on rooftops first and foremost and not on productive farmland.
“I am opposed to large landowners, most of which do not live in Doncaster or farm the land they own, taking productive farmland out of production that could blight vast swathes of our beautiful environment.
“It is important to remember that at this stage they are proposals, and I encourage everyone to put forward their views during the next phase of consultation which will be later this year.”
Commenting ahead of the meeting, Reform candidate Alexander Jones said: ““Reform UK is committed to preserving our greenbelt and this project which concretes over our greenbelt is something that me and my party are opposed to. The greenbelt is crucial to our quality of life, livestock, wildlife and clean air. If we lose this, we lose it for future generations.
“We have been clear from the outset that scrapping net zero is central to bringing our high energy costs down. A high cost, high risk solar farm on our greenbelt is frankly a slap in the face for our countryside and a waste of our hard-earned money.
“The cost benefit analysis of this solar farm in this area to residents and to our greenbelt is negative and I oppose this development 100% in its current form.
"If I am elected your Mayor on May 1, I will oppose this project from day one and look at better investment opportunities that create jobs, boost growth and re-industrialise our once great City,” adding: “Subsequent governments have promised that our bills would come down.
"In fact, our local Labour MP Ed Miliband said they would be £300 cheaper a year, and yet energy bills continue to rise.
“Nick Fletcher has said that he opposes this project as well, but it was his party under Boris Johnson that signed up to Net Zero commitments, which has made projects such as this become a reality.
"I am the only candidate whose party will scrap Net Zero, end this project and commit to re-industrialising the UK in order to be more energy self-sufficient and bring our energy costs down.”
Mr Fletcher accused Mr Jones of being in “hiding” for not attending the meeting and said:
“Doncaster doesn’t need another weak absentee mayor.
“Voters are asking: where is the Reform UK candidate? He was due to speak at the solar farm meeting — a key local issue — but didn’t show up. No explanation. Instead, a lady read a prepared statement on his behalf.
“This isn’t the first time. At the hustings, when speaking to just 70 people, he struggled. Froze, then recovered by reading a party script.
"The same happened previously when Nigel Farage introduced him — another script. Then again at the Mount Pleasant Hotel, where he announced he wouldn’t be producing a manifesto.
"Not because he’d written something better — but because he doesn’t believe in them. Reading from his script, he made that very clear.
“These are not personal attacks — they’re fair questions about experience and readiness. Doncaster needs and deserves a Mayor who is willing and able to show up, speak up, and take responsibility.
“There’s speculation online that Reform HQ has advised him to lay low after a rocky start. I don’t know if that’s true — but what I do know is that he wasn’t at last night’s meeting. And that matters.
“This was an important event, with real implications for our countryside and our future. Sprawl is a real threat — and solar farms, once they start appearing, don’t tend to stop. Your Mayor must be prepared to stand firm and fight for our local landscape which needs our protection. That’s exactly what I’ll do.
Ros Jones turned up. I turned up. Alex Jones didn’t. Why did he not turn up?
“Reform UK say they want to reopen the airport — but their candidate only mentions that happening after abolishing Net Zero and paying off all debt. That’s not a plan. That’s a fantasy. We don’t have decades to wait.
“Nigel Farage doesn’t understand Doncaster. To him, this is a box-ticking exercise. Another Jones in office — Labour or Reform — means more of the same: missed opportunities and weak leadership.”
A full list of Doncaster mayoral candidates is available HERE