About YnNi NewyddYnni Newydd, a community benefit society established with the purpose of using profit to support other projects providing sustainable community benefits. Our directors have a range of skills and experience in developing community-owned renewable energy projects in Wales and England.
YnNi Newydd Cyf. (YN) is a registered Community Benefit Society and must comply with the rules of the Financial Conduct Authority.
The objects of the Society shall be to carry on any business for the benefit of the community by the development, construction and operation of community led renewable energy generation installations.
The Society shall be owned and controlled by its Members on a fair and equitable basis.
Ynni Newydd was formed specifically for the purpose of developing the proposed 30 MW Bretton Hall solar farm in NE Wales/West Cheshire.
Our key aims are to: -
• Construct and operate the 30 MW solar farm as a 100 % community-owned asset.
• Provide a significant proportion of surplus revenues to support sustainable actions for social and environmental wellbeing.
YN is working in a formal partnership with a co-developer, Corin Hughes Ltd (CHL). This is a specialist renewable energy and project management consultancy which owns the grid connection and provides services and support to the project.
The applicant appointed YnNi Teg Cyf (YT) to provide project management services to support the delivery of the development up to planning submission (May 2022). YT continues to support the project and has an experienced team of development managers.
About Bretton Hall Solar Farm
The site is located at Bretton Hall Farm and crosses the boundary between Flintshire and Cheshire. The site covers 50 hectares of land currently used for sheep grazing, which will continue after construction.
The solar farm will have a generation capacity of 30 MW and provide enough electricity to supply 8,400 homes. It is estimated that this will lead to an overall saving of 6,800 tonnes of CO2 every year during the 40-year lifetime of the project.
As the project will be owned by its membership, 100% of the profits generated will be distributed to other projects providing community benefits.
The site covers both Wales and England and two separate planning applications have therefore been submitted. The planning decision will be taken in England by Cheshire West and Chester Council. In Wales, the project is being treated as a Development of National Significance and will be adjudicated by the Welsh Planning Inspectorate with input from Flintshire County Council. These applications were submitted in 2022 and consent on both sides of the border is expected in 2023.
YN will register a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) company to hold all the development rights for the project. It is assumed that any securities required by principal lenders for construction will sit with the SPV, rather than YN.
