Novarly ParcelRenewable planning

Renewable planning SolarNorth Ayrshire

Solar planning in North Ayrshire

North Ayrshire has decided 14 solar farms and approved 100% of them, taking a median of 1.4 months to decide. Consented capacity: 87 MW. 3 applications still awaiting a decision.

100%
Approved
14 granted · 0 refused
1.4 mo
Median decision
UK 2.3 mo
87 MW
Consented
across approved schemes
1
Appeals
1 allowed on appeal

How North Ayrshire compares

Against the 298 UK authorities with 5+ solar decisions, North Ayrshire sits in the 77th percentile for approval rate (7 points above the England average) and the 97th percentile for speed.

Decisions by year

35Approved — 1 (2015)115Approved — 1 (2019)119Approved — 1 (2021)121Approved — 5 (2023)523Approved — 3 (2024)324Approved — 2 (2025)225
Approved Refused

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 Withdrawn and still-undecided applications are excluded, so a short bar can mean a quiet year rather than a strict council.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 (20)

SchemeMWStatusDecided
Meadowhead Sewage Treatment Plant - Solar Panels
Scottish Water National Operations Control Centre · 26/00079/PP
0.34Application Submitted2026-02-25
Stevenston Sewage Treatment Works - Solar Panels
Scottish Water · 25/00049/PP · 1.4 mo to decide
0.6Awaiting Construction2025-04-04
Glenkiln Farm, Lamlash Brodick - Solar Farm
Arran Community Renewables · 25/00017/PP · 1.9 mo to decide
6Awaiting Construction2025-03-20
Wardlaw Wood - Solar Farm
Community Windpower Limited · 24/00773/PP · 1.1 mo to decide
19.99Awaiting Construction2024-11-07
Meadowhead Sewage Treatment Plant, Meadowhead Road - Solar Array
Scottish Water · 24/00375/PP · 1.2 mo to decide
1.56Awaiting Construction2024-06-07
Wee Minnemoer, Millport - Solar Farm & Battery Storage
Comsol Energy · 23/00114/PP · 11.7 mo to decide
19Awaiting Construction2024-02-09
Sainsburys Stores Limited, Ayr Road - Solar Panels
EON UK Heat Limited · 23/00640/PP · 1 mo to decide
0.42Awaiting Construction2023-09-15
Gailes Pumping Station, Gailes - PhotoVoltaic Solar Panels
Unknown · 23/00530/PP · 1.2 mo to decide
0.33Awaiting Construction2023-08-25
Merck Kgaa, Second Avenue - Solar Panels
Merck · 23/00397/PP · 1 mo to decide
0.25Awaiting Construction2023-07-05
Shewalton Landfill Solar Farm
North Ayrshire Council · 23/00318/PP · 1.2 mo to decide
5Under Construction2023-06-15
Nethermains - Solar Farm
North Ayrshire Council · 23/00317/PP
7.5Under Construction2023-05-10
Symington Place, Riverside Business Park - Solar Panels
Spearhead Limited · 22/00988/PP · 1.1 mo to decide
0.2Awaiting Construction2023-02-22
Wee Minnemoer, Millport - Photovoltaic Solar Farm
Comsol Energy Limited · 22/00385/PP
5Revised2022-09-05
Ardagh Glass Limited - Solar Panels
Ardagh Glass Limited · 21/00719/PP · 0.9 mo to decide
1Awaiting Construction2021-08-17
Glaxosmithkline Shewalton Road
Glaxosmithkline · 19/00163/PP · 3.2 mo to decide
19.9Under Construction2019-06-19
Ballochmartin
Ramboll Environ UK/Comsol Energy · 16/00124/PP · 13.4 mo to decide
5Revised2017-03-29
Land at Hunterston Estate
Hunterston Estates · 15/00487/PP · 1.7 mo to decide
5Abandoned2016-01-15
Shewalton Landfill Site
North Ayrshire Council · 15/00569/PP · 1.4 mo to decide
3Abandoned2015-11-24
Castlehill Solar Farm
SBC Renewables · 15/00469/PP · 1.7 mo to decide
5Abandoned2015-10-16
Site To North East Of, Lochcraigs Farm
SBC Renewables · 15/00252/PP · 3.1 mo to decide
5Operational2015-08-13

Does North Ayrshire approve solar farms?

Yes — of the 14 solar farms North Ayrshire has decided, 100% were approved (14 granted, 0 refused). The UK-wide rate for solar is 93%.

How long does a solar farm application take in North Ayrshire?

The median time from application to decision is 1.4 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 North Ayrshire consented?

87 MW has been consented across 14 approved schemes. A further 3 applications awaits a decision.

Other technologies in North Ayrshire

Battery storage in North AyrshireOnshore wind 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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