The Byers Gill Solar Order 2025

SCHEDULE 1 AUTHORISED DEVELOPMENT

Article 3 1 In this Schedule- “balance of solar plant” means inverters, transformers, and switch gear and would be either— solar stations, each being a station comprising centralised inverters, transformers and switch gear with each component for each solar station either— a “solar station” located outside, with a concrete foundation slab or placed on metal skids for each of the inverters and transformers and switch gear; or housed together within a container sitting on a concrete foundation slab or placed on metal skids; or string inverters attached either to mounting structures or a ground mounted frame switchgear and transformers on a concrete foundation slab or placed on metal skids; “electrical cables” means— cables of differing types and voltages installed for the purposes of conducting electricity, auxiliary cables, cables connecting to direct current (DC) boxes, earthing cables and optical fibre cables; excavations to install trenching, including storage of excavated material; provision of ducting or alternative means of conducting media including jointing pits hardstanding adjoining the jointing pits, combiner boxes, fibre bays, cable ducts, cable protections, joint protection, manholes, kiosks, marker posts, underground cable marker, tiles and tape, send and receive pits for horizontal directional drilling, trenching, lighting, and a put or container to capture fluids associated with drilling; “energy storage” means equipment used for the storage of electrical energy; “National Grid substation” means the existing 132kV substation located near Stockton-On-Tees owned and operated by National Grid; “inverter” means electrical equipment required to convert direct current power to alternating current; “mounting structure” means a frame or rack made of galvanised steel, anodised aluminium or other material design to support the solar panels and mounted on piles driven into the ground, piles rammed into a pre-drilled hole, a pillar attaching to a steel ground screw, or pillars fixed to a concrete foundation; “panel areas” means panel areas A to F shown labelled as Work No. 1 on the works plans; “permissive paths” means new access tracks providing restricted public access within the Order limits along the routes shown on the street works, public rights of way and access plans; “solar panel” means a solar photovoltaic panel or module designed to convert solar irradiance to electrical energy; “substation” means a substation containing electrical equipment required to switch, transform, convert electricity and provide reactive power compensation with welfare facilities, means of access and other associated facilities;; “switch gear” means a combination of electrical disconnect switches, fuses or circuit breakers used to control, protect, and isolate electrical equipment; and “transformer” means a structure serving to transform electricity to a higher voltage. 2 In the Boroughs of Darlington and Stockton-on-Tees and the County of Durham the construction, operation, maintenance and decommissioning of a nationally significant infrastructure project as defined in sections 14(1)(a) and 15 of the 2008 Act with associated development under section 115(1)(b) of the 2008 Act. 3 The nationally significant infrastructure project authorised by this Order comprises a generating station with a gross electrical output of over 50 megawatts alternating current comprising all or any of the work numbers in this Schedule or any part of any work number in this Schedule— Work No. 1 – a ground mounted solar photovoltaic generating station comprising— Work No. 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E, and 1F: being panel areas A to F, comprising— (a) solar panels fitted to mounting structures; (b) balance of solar plant, and associated development within the meaning of Section 115(2) of the 2008 Act comprising— Work No. 2 – a battery energy storage system comprising— (a) battery energy storage system units co-located with Work No. 1; (b) auxiliary transformers and associated bunding; (c) power conversion system units including inverters, switch gear, transformers and ancillary equipment; (d) containers or enclosures housing all or any of Work Nos. 2(b) and (c) and ancillary equipment sitting on a concrete foundation slab or placed on metal skids; (e) monitoring and control systems; (f) heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems; (g) fire safety infrastructure including water storage in tanks or other containers, and drainage and water containment features and associated infrastructure; and (h) containers or similar structures to house, control and welfare facilities, and storage. Work No. 3 – works including— (a) 33 kilovolt electrical cables connecting Work No. 1 and Work No. 2 to Work No. 4; (b) 132 kilovolt electrical cables connecting Work No. 4 to Work No. 6 within panel areas; (c) fencing, gates, boundary treatment and other means of enclosure; (d) improvement, maintenance and use of existing private tracks; (e) laying down of internal access tracks, ramps, means of access, footpaths, permissive paths, roads, including the laying and construction of drainage infrastructure, signage and information boards; (f) works for the provision of security and monitoring measures such as CCTV columns, lighting columns and lighting, cameras, weather stations, communication infrastructure, and perimeter fencing; (g) landscaping and biodiversity mitigation and enhancement measures including planting; and (h) works required for crossing, moving re-routing or over/undergrounding of existing utility assets (including water, gas, sewer pipes, electricity distribution/transmission cabling, telecommunications etc.). Work No. 4 – works in connection with an onsite substation comprising— (a) substation, switch room buildings, concrete foundations and ancillary equipment including reactive power units; (b) power conversion system units including inverters, switch gear, transformers and ancillary equipment; (c) control building housing offices, storage containers and space, welfare facilities, waste storage within a fenced compound, car parking; (d) monitoring and control systems for Work Nos. 1, 2 and 4; (e) 132 kilovolt harmonic filter compound; (f) electrical cables; (g) communications mast being not more than 15 metres in height; (h) deluge system including water tanks and fire suppression, and drainage and water containment features and associated infrastructure; and (i) access gates and tracks, security palisade fencing and bunding. Work No. 5 – works including— (a) 132 kilovolt electrical cables connecting Work No. 4 to Work No. 6 outside of panel areas; (b) fencing, gates, boundary treatment and other means of enclosure; (c) laying down of internal access tracks, ramps, means of access, footpaths and roads, including the laying and construction of drainage infrastructure, signage and information boards; and (d) works required for crossing, moving re-routing or over/undergrounding of existing utility assets (including water, gas, sewer pipes, electricity distribution/transmission cabling, telecommunications etc.) Work No. 6 – within the National Grid substation construction of electrical substation infrastructure including: (a) a compound for electrical works necessary for the onwards transmission of electricity containing, but not limited to, cable switchgear and electrical equipment including power transformers, reactive compensation equipment, filters, cooling equipment, control and welfare buildings, lightning rods, internal roads, security fencing, and other associated equipment, structures and buildings including noise-attenuation works; (b) electrical cables; (c) 132 kilovolt connection bay located at the Norton 132 kilovolt GIS switch room including all associated electrical equipment and civil works necessary to enable the onward transmission of electricity; and (d) access gates and tracks. Work No. 7 – temporary construction and decommissioning of access tracks and compounds comprising— (a) works to improve existing farm access from public highway, and install temporary traffic lights, banksmen or other measures to manage traffic; (b) works to excavate and store soil, clear vegetation and obstacles, level, shape and prepare surface for construction track to be installed; (c) storage of equipment and materials including waste skips; (d) civil investigations and works to reinforce ground with weight-bearing support infrastructure and maintain integrity of structures beneath road surface; (e) creation of temporary construction access tracks, laydown and working areas; (f) works required for crossing, moving, re-routing or over/undergrounding of existing utility assets (including water, gas, sewer pipes, electricity distribution/transmission cabling, telecommunications etc.); (g) temporary closure of watercourses for installation of culverts, drainage and other features to cross water courses; (h) areas of hardstanding; (i) car parking; (j) site and welfare offices, canteens and workshops; (k) area for download and turning; (l) security infrastructure; (m) site drainage and waste management infrastructure; and (n) electricity, water, waste-water and telecommunications connections. Work No. 8 – works to facilitate access for all works, comprising— (a) creation of accesses from or across the public highway; (b) visibility splays; (c) works to widen and surface the public highway; and (d) installation of temporary traffic lights or facilities for manned traffic management. Work No. 9 – works for areas of green infrastructure comprising— (a) soft landscaping and planting, including tree and hedgerow planting; (b) habitat creation and management including earthworks, landscaping, means of enclosure and the laying and construction of drainage infrastructure; and (c) laying down of permissive paths, signage, and information boards. In connection with the construction of Work Nos. 1-9 above and to the extent that they do not form any part of any such work, further associated development comprising such other works within the Order limits as may be necessary or expedient for the purpose of or in connection with the relevant part of the authorised development and which fall within the scope of work assessed by the environmental statement including— (a) haul roads, ramps, watercourse and other temporary crossings, vehicular and pedestrian means of access including creation of new tracks and paths, widening upgrades alterations and improvements of existing roads tracks and paths; (b) fencing, gates, boundary treatments and other means of enclosure; (c) bunds, embankments, trenching and swales; (d) provision of temporary and permanent ecological and environmental mitigation and compensation works, including landscaping works and habitat creation; (e) working sites in connection with the construction of the authorised development including construction lay down areas, compounds, and spoil storage and associated control measures; (f) works to the existing irrigation system and works to alter the position and extent of such irrigation system; (g) surface water drainage systems, storm water attenuation systems including storage basins, oil water separators, channelling and culverting and works to existing drainage networks; (h) electrical, gas, water, foul water drainage and telecommunications infrastructure connections diversions and works to alter the position of such services and utilities connections; (i) works to alter the course of or otherwise interfere with non-navigable rivers, streams or watercourses; (j) site establishments and preparation works including site clearance (including vegetation removal, demolition of existing buildings and structure), earthworks (including soil stripping and storage and site levelling) and excavations, the alteration of the position of services and utilities and works for the protection of buildings and land; (k) works for the benefit or protection of land affected by authorised development; (l) works of restoration; (m) tunnelling, boring and drilling works; and (n) such other works as may be necessary or expedient for the purposes of or in connection with the relevant part of the authorised development.