Residents in South Yorkshire are campaigning against plans for the Whitestone solar farm, which they say could become one of Europe's largest and is causing "a great deal of heartache" across the region. The project, proposed between Doncaster and Rotherham, is being treated as a national infrastructure project subject to a complex planning process, and campaigners are holding public meetings because they fear many locals do not grasp the scale of what is proposed.

Developer Green Nation says the panel area has been reduced from an original 3,500 acres following consultation, with larger buffer zones added around homes and sensitive sites, though the scheme would still deliver 750MW, enough to power around 250,000 homes, stretching across numerous villages from Conisbrough to Brinsworth. That would make it larger than Germany's Witznitz Solar Park, mainland Europe's biggest operational site, though smaller than Romania's planned Dama Solar project. Residents cite worries over up to two years of construction, a possible 40% rise in traffic including around 500 HGVs a day, and loss of greenbelt countryside, while Green Nation argues the project is vital for energy security, costs and climate targets. Planning inspectors will examine the application from autumn 2026 to spring 2027, with the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero making the final decision.