A community share offer has opened for a 40 MWp community-owned solar farm being developed at Bretton Hall on the Flintshire–Cheshire border.
When complete, it will be the largest community-owned renewable energy project in the UK.
A community share offer is now seeking between £340,000 to £610,000 to complete funding for the first 1.5 MWp installation, supporting an application for a £1.95 million grant through Welsh Government’s Local Energy Fund and a £180,000 loan from the Development Bank of Wales.
Bretton Hall Solar will be 100 per cent owned by local people and mission-aligned investors through community shares. Surplus income will feed a long-term community fund projected to exceed £100 million over 40 years, supporting climate action, local investment, skills, and community services.
The scheme will also play a significant role in reducing carbon emissions, with expected CO₂ savings of more than 6,800 tonnes per year.
Phase 1 will be built in 2026, securing planning consent in perpetuity and clearing development debt.
Jacob Calland, PR and Marketing Manager, YnNi Newydd, said:
“Instead of profits flowing to distant shareholders, every penny of surplus will stay local, supporting people and places across Flintshire, Cheshire and the wider region. It shows what is possible when communities take control of the infrastructure that shapes their future.”
Find out more about the project and share offer details here: https://www.brettonhallsolar.co.uk/buying-shares/
Apply for shares here: https://apply.sharenergy.coop/ynni-newydd-2025-share-offer
