Silence Speaks Volumes: Why Ros Jones Must Break Her Silence on the Whitestone Solar Farm

Across Rotherham and Doncaster, something extraordinary is happening. For once, every Labour MP representing affected communities has stood up and said “no” to the vast Whitestone Solar Farm development.Sarah Champion (Rotherham) has issued a clear objection, warning that the loss of productive farmland and precious green space will be devastating for her constituents. Jake Richards (Rother Valley) has done the same, describing the plans as too big, too disruptive, and rushed through with too little consultation.And yet, as the debate grows louder, one key voice remains silent: Ros Jones, the Mayor of Doncaster.

A Development That Would Transform Our Countryside

Let’s be clear about the scale of this project. The proposed solar development would sprawl across 3,400 acres of land, stretching from Treeton and Thurcroft to Conisbrough and surrounding villages. This is not a local planning application. It is a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) — which means the final decision will be made in Whitehall, not by our local councils.But that does not make local voices irrelevant. Far from it. Rotherham Council will act as a statutory consultee, submitting impact assessments and local evidence to the Planning Inspectorate. Doncaster Council can and should do the same. The more unified and forceful the local opposition, the harder it will be for ministers to wave this scheme through unchallenged.

Labour MPs Have Drawn Their Line

Sarah Champion has warned that the project would “destroy valuable farmland” and that developers have made “no significant alterations” to address residents’ concerns.Jake Richards has criticised the consultation period as “too short” and said he will oppose the application because of its “sheer size and the effect on certain communities.”These are strong words — and rightly so. The people of South Yorkshire deserve better than being treated as a blank canvas for industrial-scale solar schemes that deliver no local power, create minimal permanent jobs, and strip away green fields that generations have worked and enjoyed.

Doncaster’s Silence Is No Longer Neutral

The proposed solar footprint extends well into Doncaster’s rural communities, including Conisbrough. Residents here will face the same construction traffic, the same landscape blight, and the same loss of productive farmland.Yet, as of today, Mayor Ros Jones has issued no formal statement on the development.In politics, silence is not neutrality. Silence is complicity.If every MP in the region can see that this project is not in the public interest, why hasn’t the Mayor?

What’s at Stake

This isn’t just about one solar farm.

It’s about a pattern: vast industrial renewable projects being waved through without local consent, while our overloaded grid can’t even handle the power they promise to generate.Communities lose their countryside. Developers pocket the profits. Ministers tick their “green” box. And ordinary people are left with rising bills, scarred landscapes, and no say.Mayor Jones’s position matters because Doncaster’s Local Impact Report will be a key part of the Planning Inspectorate’s evidence base. A strong objection could shape the outcome of this process. A weak or absent one could make it easier for developers to override local democracy.

Time to Pick a SideThe people of Doncaster deserve to know where their Mayor stands. Will she stand with residents and local MPs to defend farmland, green space, and community voice? Or will she stand aside and let Westminster decide our future?The time for silence has passed.The time for leadership is now.

✍️ If you live in Conisbrough, Treeton, Thurcroft, or any of the affected villages, make your voice heard. Contact the Mayor’s office. Submit your objections during consultation. This is your land, your landscape, your future.