Renewable planning › Solar › Antrim and Newtownabbey
Solar planning in Antrim and Newtownabbey
Antrim and Newtownabbey has decided 12 solar farms and approved 83% of them, taking a median of 6.5 months to decide. Consented capacity: 115 MW. 4 applications still awaiting a decision.
How Antrim and Newtownabbey compares
Against the 298 UK authorities with 5+ solar decisions, Antrim and Newtownabbey sits in the 12th percentile for approval rate (10 points below the England average) and the 2nd percentile for speed.
Decisions by year
Solar 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 Withdrawn and still-undecided applications are excluded, so a short bar can mean a quiet year rather than a strict council.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 (18)
| Scheme | MW | Status | Decided |
|---|---|---|---|
Solar PV Farm Development in Carrickfergus Irish Salt Mining & Exploration Co. Limited · LA02/2024/0651/F | — | Application Submitted | 2024-09-28 |
Solar Farm Development in Antrim Elgin Energy Esco Limited · LA03/2024/0661/S54 | 20 | Application Submitted | 2024-09-04 |
Dunore Road, Aldergrove Solar Farm NI Water · LA03/2021/0252/F | 3.75 | Application Submitted | 2021-03-03 |
Steeple Road Elgin Energy Esco · LA03/2016/0135/F · 27.4 mo to decide | 25 | Awaiting Construction | 2018-05-24 |
Gibson Farm Lightsource Renewable Energy · LA03/2015/0655/F · 7.7 mo to decide | 6.4 | Operational | 2016-07-26 |
Land north of 20 Knockcairn Road Lightsource Renewable Energy · LA03/2015/0021/F · 13.8 mo to decide | 4.1 | Application Refused | 2016-05-23 |
South Antrim Solar Park - Phase 1 Hadstone Energy · LA03/2015/0262/F · 9.9 mo to decide | 6.5 | Operational | 2016-04-26 |
South Antrim Solar Park - Phase 2 Hadstone Energy · LA03/2015/0262/F · 9.9 mo to decide | 39.5 | Awaiting Construction | 2016-04-25 |
Lands West of Belfast Road Lightsource Renewable Energy · LA03/2015/0257/F · 5.8 mo to decide | 10 | Operational | 2015-12-23 |
Sealstown Road Solar Farm Lightsource Renewable Energy · LA03/2015/0250/F · 4.8 mo to decide | 6.7 | Abandoned | 2015-11-17 |
Doagh Road Solar Farm Power Capital · LA03/2015/0025/F · 6.8 mo to decide | 5 | Appeal Withdrawn | 2015-10-22 |
South of Ballysculty Lightsource Renewable Energy · T/2014/0460/F · 9.7 mo to decide | 6.2 | Appeal Refused | 2015-08-27 |
Millar Farm Lightsource Renewable Energy · T/2015/0094/F · 4.6 mo to decide | 6 | Operational | 2015-07-22 |
Kells Solar Farm Elgin Energy EsCo · LA03/2015/0234/F | 50 | Application Submitted | 2015-06-26 |
Moira Road Lightsource Renewable Energy · T/2014/0201/F · 6.2 mo to decide | 6.5 | Operational | 2014-12-03 |
Crookedstone Road Lightsource Renewable Energy · T/2014/0098/F · 5.5 mo to decide | 4.8 | Operational | 2014-09-08 |
Knockcairn Road Lightsource Renewable Energy · T/2014/0066/F · 3.9 mo to decide | 6.5 | Operational | 2014-06-26 |
Bombardier Factory Bombardier Aerospace · Z/2013/1267/F · 3.2 mo to decide | 3.8 | Operational | 2014-02-07 |
Does Antrim and Newtownabbey approve solar farms?
Yes — of the 12 solar farms Antrim and Newtownabbey has decided, 83% were approved (10 granted, 2 refused). The UK-wide rate for solar is 93%.
How long does a solar farm application take in Antrim and Newtownabbey?
The median time from application to decision is 6.5 months, against a UK median of 2.3 months for solar. That is measured between the submission and decision dates recorded in REPD, so it reflects the whole determination period including any extensions.
How much solar capacity has Antrim and Newtownabbey consented?
115 MW has been consented across 10 approved schemes, with 10 MW refused. A further 4 applications awaits a decision.
Other technologies in Antrim and Newtownabbey
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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