North Yorkshire’s Helios Renewable Energy Project has cleared the national planning process. The Secretary of State signed the Development Consent Order on 3 December 2025, with the Order in force from 29 December 2025. The consent covers a nationally significant solar farm and battery energy storage facility promoted by Enso Green Holdings D Limited.

The scheme is consented at over 50MW (AC) with on‑site battery storage, an internal substation and a new connection into National Grid Electricity Transmission’s Drax 132kV substation. Northern Powergrid and NGET are named for specific works and protections, signalling a tight interface with regional and national networks.

Timelines are explicit. Construction must begin within five years of the Order coming into force-by 29 December 2030. The project is set up for a 40‑year operational life. Decommissioning must then commence, with security confirmed no later than year 15 of operation and a detailed plan submitted at least 12 months before decommissioning starts.

Phasing is allowed. Before each phase, the undertaker must secure detailed design approval alongside a Construction Environmental Management Plan and a Construction Traffic Management Plan. An Operational Environmental Management Plan is required before commissioning each phase, locking in how the site will run day to day.

For jobs and enterprise, one requirement stands out: a Supply Chain, Employment and Skills Plan must be approved for every phase and then delivered. That creates a formal route for local hiring, training and procurement across civil works, electrical packages and environmental services.

What will be built is broad in scope: ground‑mounted PV arrays, balance‑of‑plant equipment, a battery compound with fire water storage and deluge systems, a site substation, internal tracks, CCTV and lighting, fencing, landscaping and biodiversity measures. Cable routes link PV fields, storage and substation, including trenchless crossings and a rail crossing to reach the Drax connection bay. New permissive paths are also enabled within the Order limits.

On access, Helios can alter highway layouts and create new site entrances, including works along the A1041. Public rights of way can be closed temporarily during construction with signed diversions and a management plan agreed with the highways authority. Temporary traffic regulation is permitted subject to notice, police consultation and advance publicity.

Environmental guardrails are tight. Operational noise is capped at 40 dB LAr at night and 50 dB LAr by day at the nearest homes under BS 4142. A minimum 10% biodiversity net gain is mandated using Defra’s statutory metric. A Flood Management Strategy must protect the battery and substation areas and deliver level‑for‑level floodplain compensation designed for the 2080s climate scenario. Burn Gliding Club must be consulted on a Glint & Glare Mitigation Strategy. Battery safety planning is mandatory with North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service and the Environment Agency.

Land and compensation powers are granted but time‑limited to five years. Before exercising compulsory acquisition or temporary possession powers, the undertaker must put in place a guarantee or alternative security approved by the Secretary of State to cover compensation liabilities-an added layer of comfort for landowners and lenders.

Utility and rail protections are extensive. National Gas Transmission, National Grid Electricity Transmission and Northern Powergrid have design approval and access rights embedded in the Order, along with insurance and security thresholds that can reach £50m. Network Rail’s asset protection regime applies within 15 metres of railway property, and trenchless techniques are specified for key crossings.

From a procurement angle, the works schedule reads like a tender list: earthworks and drainage; internal roads and compounds; PV mounting structures and modules; inverters, transformers and harmonic filters; BESS containers and HVAC; high‑voltage switchgear and control buildings; trenchless crossings; fencing, CCTV and lighting; landscaping and habitat creation. With phasing and a mandated supply‑chain plan, SMEs in North Yorkshire have a defined route to pitch.

What to watch next: an initial phasing scheme and pre‑commencement submissions to the local planning authority during 2026, followed by early enabling works once traffic and environmental plans are cleared. Over the life of the project, the operator must keep noise, biodiversity and flood conditions within limits and confirm decommissioning security no later than year 15. The grid connection at Drax 132kV remains the key milestone for energisation and revenue.