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Renewable planning Onshore windNorth Ayrshire

Onshore wind planning in North Ayrshire

North Ayrshire has decided 18 onshore wind schemes and approved 78% of them, taking a median of 8.5 months to decide. Consented capacity: 173 MW. 4 applications still awaiting a decision.

78%
Approved
14 granted · 4 refused
8.5 mo
Median decision
UK 11.5 mo
173 MW
Consented
102 MW refused
4
Appeals
3 allowed on appeal

How North Ayrshire compares

Against the 75 UK authorities with 5+ onshore wind decisions, North Ayrshire sits in the 64th percentile for approval rate (10 points above the England average) and the 84th percentile for speed.

Decisions by year

35Approved — 2 (2012)212Approved — 1 (2013)113Approved — 2 (2014)214Refused — 2 (2015)215Approved — 2 (2019)219Refused — 1 (2021)121Approved — 1 (2025)125Approved — 1 (2026)126
Approved Refused

Onshore wind decisions by the year the decision was issued (Renewable Energy Planning Database). Withdrawn and still-undecided applications are excluded, so a short bar can mean a quiet year rather than a strict council.

Every recorded scheme (27)

SchemeMWStatusDecided
Ardeer Peninsula, Ardeer - Wind Turbines
The Farm Energy Partnership · 23/00559/PP · 28.6 mo to decide
9.6Awaiting Construction2026-01-23
Dunlop Place, Meadowhead Industrial Estate - Wind turbine
Farm Energy Company · 25/00334/PP
7Application Submitted2025-07-28
Swinlees Wind Farm
The Farm Energy Partnership · 24/00843/PPM · 8.1 mo to decide
25.56Awaiting Construction2025-07-18
Ardeer Peninsula, Ardeer - Wind Turbines
The Farm Energy Partnership · 22/00749/PP
14.4Revised2023-01-16
Rigghill Wind Farm
Burcote Wind · 20/00248/PPM · 11 mo to decide
42Application Refused2021-03-29
Standingstone Hill
Radio City Association · 18/01123/PP · 10.6 mo to decide
2.5Awaiting Construction2019-11-26
Shewalton Road
GlaxoSmithKline · 19/00164/PP · 1.6 mo to decide
3Under Construction2019-05-02
Hunterston Test Centre (Phase 2)
Scottish Enterprise/SSE · 16/00060/PP
8Application Withdrawn2016-08-04
Blackshaw Community Wind Farm
Community Windpower (Community Wind Power) · 15/00200/PPM · 6.9 mo to decide
21Appeal Refused2015-11-11
Auld Clay
Amec Foster Wheeler · 15/00221/PP · 4.4 mo to decide
9.2Application Refused2015-09-03
Sorbie Farm
Energiekontor · 13/00627/PP · 7.9 mo to decide
9Under Construction2014-06-27
Millour Hill Community Windfarm (Extension)
Community Windpower · 13/00647/PP · 6.9 mo to decide
6.4Operational2014-06-18
Sorbie Farm wind cluster
Sorbie Windfarm Ltd · 13/00236/PP
7.5Application Withdrawn2013-06-25
GlaxoSmithKline Wind Project (Turbine 4)
GlaxoSmithKline · 12/00629/PP · 7.2 mo to decide
2.5Operational2013-06-19
Millour Hill Community Windfarm (Extension)
Community Windpower · 12/00526/PP · 8.5 mo to decide
6Revised2013-06-05
GlaxoSmithKline Wind Project
Glaxosmithkline · 09/00878/PP · 27.8 mo to decide
7.5Operational2012-05-01
Hunterston Test Centre
Scottish Enterprise/SSE · 11/00679/PPM · 4.5 mo to decide
13Decommissioned2012-02-14
Ballochmartin Farm Turbine
Unknown · 11/00403/PP
2.3Application Withdrawn2011-07-18
Millour Hill Community Windfarm
Community Windpower · 09/00424/PPM · 5.7 mo to decide
18Operational2009-12-16
Kelburn
Renewable Energy Systems (RES) · N/04/00786/PP · 61 mo to decide
28Operational2009-08-10
Wings Law
Wind Hydrogen · 07/00761/PP · 18.7 mo to decide
48Appeal Withdrawn2009-02-23
Millour Hill Community Windfarm
Community Windpower · 06/01007/PP · 26.4 mo to decide
18Revised2009-01-13
Ardrossan Extension
Airtricity · 05/01151/PP · 23.8 mo to decide
6Operational2007-11-26
Ardeer
Scottish Power Renewables · N/01/00766/PP
22Application Withdrawn2004-08-11
Hunterstone
Scottish Power Renewables · N/03/0076/PP · 10.2 mo to decide
30Application Refused2003-12-08
Wardlaw Wood
Wind Prospect / Community Windpower · N/02/00906/PP · 9 mo to decide
18Operational2003-09-01
Ardrossan
Airtricity · N/02/00378/PP · 7.7 mo to decide
24Operational2003-01-13

Does North Ayrshire approve onshore wind schemes?

Yes — of the 18 onshore wind schemes North Ayrshire has decided, 78% were approved (14 granted, 4 refused). The UK-wide rate for onshore wind is 68%.

How long does a onshore wind scheme application take in North Ayrshire?

The median time from application to decision is 8.5 months, against a UK median of 11.5 months for onshore wind. That is measured between the submission and decision dates recorded in REPD, so it reflects the whole determination period including any extensions.

How much onshore wind capacity has North Ayrshire consented?

173 MW has been consented across 14 approved schemes, with 102 MW refused. A further 4 applications awaits a decision.

Other technologies in North Ayrshire

Solar in North AyrshireBattery storage in North Ayrshire

Source: Renewable Energy Planning Database (REPD), Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Open Government Licence v3.0 — 2026 Q1 extract. Approval rate is over decided applications only (approved ÷ approved+refused); withdrawn and undecided schemes are excluded. A permission later expired still counts as approved because consent was granted. REPD covers schemes of roughly 150 kW and above, is published quarterly, and does not record refusal reasons — so nothing here explains why a scheme was refused. Screening context for site selection, not planning advice.

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