Plans for a large solar energy site between Walton-on-Trent and Rosliston in Derbyshire have taken a major step forward after developers submitted new documents to the local council. On 28 January 2026, Oaklands Farm Solar Limited (a subsidiary of BayWa r.e. UK) submitted phasing and final commissioning filings to South Derbyshire District Council explaining how the project will be built in stages and when it will begin feeding power into the grid.
The project, known as Oaklands Farm Solar Park, is anticipated to begin construction in Q2 2026 and is expected to be fully operational in late 2027 or early 2028. Once finished, the site will — the developer says — generate enough electricity to power around 35,000 homes by connecting to the National Grid at the Drakelow Substation (on the former Drakelow Power Station site).
Residents in the area have previously told Derbyshire Live they fear how building work might change the countryside and increase local traffic. To address this, the submitted plans include a dedicated construction haul road (a new track across private land) so HGVs avoid the narrow streets of nearby villages and the Walton-on-Trent Bailey Bridge — a routing measure set out in the DCO requirements and the phasing plan.
The Secretary of State granted development consent for the scheme on 19 June 2025. South Derbyshire District Council, working with Derbyshire County Council, is now responsible for discharging the DCO requirements and enforcing local controls on matters such as noise and traffic. The latest filings were made as part of that statutory process to confirm how the roughly 191-hectare (about 472-acre) site will be managed before major construction begins.
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