Government approves major Green Hill Solar Farm in Northants

The government has approved what could be one of the UK's largest solar farms.

Green Hill Solar Farm would cover about 2,965 acres (1,200 hectares) of land south and west of Wellingborough and north of Northampton.

It would also extend to include land to the northeast of Warrington, a hamlet in Buckinghamshire.

Baroness Curran, from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, said on approving the development: "Solar power is crucial to delivering energy security for the country and financial security for communities, families and businesses."

The size of the project meant that recommendations for the scheme were made by the Planning Inspectorate, rather than local planning authorities.

The inspectorate's examination stage took more than five months to complete, opening in October 2025 and closing in April.

More than 1,200 people and businesses sent comments about the plans.

Campaigners opposing the proposal argued that solar panels up to 4.5m (15ft) high could "devastate the Northamptonshire countryside".

Sarah Bool and Stuart Andrew, the Conservative MPs for South Northamptonshire and Daventry respectively, both opposed the development and handed a petition into Downing Street.

Green Hill Solar said the farm would "benefit Britain with clean, secure, low-cost energy".

It said the scheme could generate 500 megawatts of electricity to power about 200,000 homes.

It is hoped construction will begin in 2027, with the aim of providing electricity to homes by 2029, the company said.

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