The Steeple Renewables Project Order 2026

SCHEDULE 1 AUTHORISED DEVELOPMENT

Article 2 1 In this Schedule— “balance of solar plant” means inverters, transformers, and switch gear and would be either— inverter / transformer stations, each being a station comprising centralised inverters, transformers and switch gear combined as a solar conversion unit or separated with each component for each station either— 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; “battery energy storage” means equipment used for the storage of electrical energy by battery; “CCTV” means a closed circuit television security system; “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; “inverter” means electrical equipment required to convert direct current power generated by the solar panels to alternating current power; “mounting structure” means a frame or rack with posts made of galvanised steel or other material pushed into the ground to support the solar panels; “solar panel” means a solar photovoltaic panel designed to convert solar irradiance to direct current electrical energy fitted to a mounted structure; “substation” means a compound 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 containing electrical switch gear serving to transform electricity generated by the solar panels and imported and exported by the batteries to a higher voltage. 2 In the District of Bassetlaw and in the County of Nottinghamshire a nationally significant infrastructure project as defined in sections 14 and 15 of the 2008 Act and associated development under section 115(1)(b) of the 2008 Act. 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 of 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— (a) solar panels fitted to mounting structures; and (b) balance of solar plant, and associated development within the meaning of section 115(2) (for which development consent may be granted) of the 2008 Act comprising— Work No. 2 – a battery energy storage system compound comprising— (a) battery energy storage system units; (b) auxiliary transformers and associated bunding; (c) power conversion system units including inverters, switch gear, transformers and ancillary equipment; (d) monitoring and control systems; (e) containers or similar structures housing control room and all or any of Work Nos. 2(a) to 2(d) and storage areas; (f) heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems; (g) fire safety infrastructure including water storage in tanks or other containers; (h) compound ground works and surfacing; and (i) lighting columns, Work No. 3 – works in connection with a new 400/33kV onsite substation comprising— (a) switch room buildings, electrical switchgear, transformers, busbars, and ancillary equipment including reactive power units; (b) control building housing offices, storage space, welfare facilities and waste storage; (c) monitoring and control systems for Work Nos. 1 to 3; (d) grid compliance equipment; (e) compound ground works and surfacing; and (f) lighting columns, Work No. 4 – works to install 400kV electrical cables connecting Work No. 3 to Work No. 5 including— (a) underground cabling including infrastructure for cable access, ducting and containment; (b) works required for crossing existing utility assets with cables; and (c) trenching, excavation, directional drilling and storage of excavated material, Work No. 5 – connection and installation works to the existing transmission network substation including— (a) works to construct and install network connection assets; (b) cabling including infrastructure for cable access, ducting and containment; (c) works required for crossing existing utility assets with cables; and (d) trenching, excavation, directional drilling and storage of excavated material, Work No. 6 – works to facilitate project access and cabling comprising— (a) creation of accesses from or across the public highway or private access tracks; (b) underground cabling including infrastructure for cable access, ducting and containment; (c) works required for crossing existing utility assets with cables and vehicles; (d) clearance works to facilitate appropriate access visibility splays; (e) works to widen the public highway or private access tracks; (f) temporary traffic lights or facilities for traffic management; (g) upgrading and strengthening of the public highway or private access tracks including bridges to bear project traffic; (h) works to facilitate vehicular and cable crossing of watercourses including temporary stopping up of watercourses for installation of culverts and other crossing features; and (i) trenching, excavation, directional drilling and storage of excavated material, Work No. 6A – works to install 33kV cabling comprising— (a) underground cabling including infrastructure for cable access, ducting and containment; (b) works required for crossing existing utility assets with cables; (c) works to facilitate cable crossing of watercourses including temporary stopping up of watercourses for the installation of culverts and other crossing features; and (d) trenching, excavation, directional drilling and storage of excavated material, Work No. 7 – general works comprising— (a) cabling and earthing infrastructure including structures for cable access, ducting and containment; (b) internal access tracks; (c) equipment foundations, crane hardstandings and bunding; (d) security fencing, CCTV columns, signage, access gates, weather stations, communication infrastructure; (e) drainage infrastructure and water containment features; (f) works required for crossing existing utility assets with cables and vehicles; (g) alteration or upgrading of private access tracks; (h) works to facilitate vehicular and cable crossing of watercourses including temporary stopping up of watercourses for installation of culverts and other crossing features; and (i) trenching, excavation, directional drilling and storage of excavated material, Work No. 8 – works for areas of habitat management comprising— (a) landscape and biodiversity enhancement measures; (b) habitat creation and management including earthworks, landscaping, means of enclosure and the laying and construction of drainage infrastructure; and (c) excavation and storage of excavated material, Work No. 9 – works to implement new permissive paths through Order limits comprising— (a) clearance of obstacles and laying down of permissive paths; (b) signage and information boards; and (c) works to facilitate pedestrian crossing of watercourses, Work No. 10 – temporary construction and decommissioning of site compounds comprising— (a) excavation, earthworks and storage of excavated material; (b) temporary drainage measures, stormwater management, erosion and environmental controls; (c) temporary access tracks, vehicle turning areas, and car and cycle parking area; (d) storage of equipment and materials; (e) temporary site lighting, fencing and security infrastructure; (f) work facilities including site offices, toilets, break areas and first aid station; (g) electricity, water and telecommunications connections; (h) waste management systems; (i) fuel storage and refuelling stations; (j) temporary road signage for construction period; and (k) removal of temporary infrastructure, and in connection with the construction of Work Nos. 1 to 10 above and to the extent that they do not form part of any such work, further associated development comprising such other works 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 within the Order limits— (a) boundary treatments, including means of enclosure; (b) bunds, embankments, trenching and swales; (c) works to the existing irrigation system and works to alter the position and extent of such irrigation system; (d) surface water drainage systems, storm water attenuation systems including storage basins, oil water separators, including channelling and culverting and works to existing drainage networks; (e) electrical, gas, water, foul water drainage and telecommunications infrastructure connections, diversions and works to alter the position of such services and utilities connections; (f) works to alter the course of or otherwise interfere with non-navigable rivers, streams or watercourses; (g) site establishments and site 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; (h) works to maintain and repair streets and access roads; (i) tunnelling, boring and drilling works; and (j) landscaping and biodiversity mitigation and enhancement measures including planting.