🌾 Will the Mayor of Doncaster Object to Whitestone Solar Farm?

In September 2025, Doncaster Council passed a clear and unambiguous motion:

> “Solar farms should not be built on agricultural land. Solar energy development should prioritise rooftops, car parks, and brownfield sites.”



The vote was cross-party, reflecting a shared understanding that Doncaster’s farmland is not a disposable commodity. It’s the backbone of local food security, rural character, and our shared landscape.
This motion was passed in response to a growing wave of large-scale industrial solar schemes targeting Doncaster — and none more controversial than the Whitestone (Ivanhoe) Solar Farm.

🏛️ What the Mayor Has Said

Over the past two years, Mayor Ros Jones has repeatedly voiced support for solar on rooftops.
She has publicly stated her opposition to industrial-scale solar schemes on farmland and emphasised the importance of protecting local countryside.

Indeed, her administration has encouraged renewable energy, but with the clear caveat that it should be in the right places — utilising roofs, car parks, and brownfield sites rather than open fields.

That is precisely why the September motion passed so smoothly.

🆚 Whitestone: Words Meet Reality

Now, those words face a real test.

The Whitestone Solar Farm proposal — a 3,500+ acre industrial solar scheme — is moving through its consultation stage. If built, it would cover prime farmland overlooking Conisbrough, impacting the landscape around the town’s cemetery, heritage views, and rural setting for generations.

This isn’t some abstract policy debate. This is the first big test of whether the Mayor and her executive team are prepared to stand behind their own position.

If Doncaster genuinely believes solar belongs on roofs, not fields…

If farmland is to be protected, as the Council voted…

Then the Council should formally object to Whitestone during the NSIP process.


The planning team will soon prepare the Local Impact Report (LIR) to the Planning Inspectorate. This is where the Mayor can turn words into action by ensuring Doncaster’s objection is recorded clearly and unequivocally.

🧭 Why It Matters

If Doncaster stays silent, or submits only a weak or neutral response, it will send one message loud and clear:

> “Council motions don’t mean anything.”



Developers will know they can push through industrial-scale schemes on farmland — regardless of what councillors vote for or what the Mayor says at public meetings.

But if Doncaster objects firmly and early, it will:

Strengthen the community’s voice,

Send a signal to developers that Doncaster is not a soft target,

And show residents that democracy means something.

🕰️ The Clock Is Ticking

The Whitestone consultation is already underway. Once the application is submitted, the Planning Inspectorate — not Doncaster — will make the final decision. That’s why it’s essential for the Council to plant its flag now.

The Mayor has said she supports rooftop solar.

The Council has voted against solar farms on farmland.

Residents expect action.


So the question is simple:
👉 Will the Mayor of Doncaster object to the Whitestone Solar Farm — or will she let it happen on her watch?

📢 Our Position

Reform UK councillors in Conisbrough stand with residents:
✅ Rooftops, not fields.
✅ Brownfield, not green belt.
✅ Farmland for food, not solar panels.

We urge Mayor Ros Jones to honour the Council’s motion and instruct the planning department to register a formal objection to Whitestone.

Because if this Council’s words mean anything, they must be matched by action — now.

Suggested tags:

#WhitestoneSolarFarm #DoncasterCouncil #RosJones #ReformUK #SolarPolicy #RooftopsNotFields #Conisbrough