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Renewable planning SolarWest Lothian

Solar planning in West Lothian

West Lothian has decided 16 solar farms and approved 94% of them, taking a median of 2.2 months to decide. Consented capacity: 89 MW. 3 applications still awaiting a decision.

94%
Approved
15 granted · 1 refused
2.2 mo
Median decision
UK 2.3 mo
89 MW
Consented
across approved schemes
0
Appeals
no appeals recorded

How West Lothian compares

Against the 298 UK authorities with 5+ solar decisions, West Lothian sits in the 38th percentile for approval rate (1 points above the England average) and the 54th percentile for speed.

Decisions by year

510Approved — 1 (2015)115Approved — 1 (2019)119Approved — 5 (2022)Refused — 1 (2022)622Approved — 3 (2023)323Approved — 3 (2024)324Approved — 1 (2025)125Approved — 1 (2026)126
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 Withdrawn and still-undecided applications are excluded, so a short bar can mean a quiet year rather than a strict council.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 (19)

SchemeMWStatusDecided
Kinneil Kerse Wastewater Treatment Works - Solar PV Array
Scottish Water · P/25/0457/FUL · 3.3 mo to decide
1.2Awaiting Construction2026-01-23
Firth Road, Houstoun Industrial Estate - Solar Panels
Prestige Leisure Limited · 0962/FUL/25
0.62Application Submitted2025-12-23
Leyden Road - Solar Array
Trio Power Limited · 0998/FUL/25
40Application Submitted2025-12-22
Brewster Brothers, Drumshoreland Road - Solar Panels
Brewster Brothers Limited · 0316/FUL/25 · 3.2 mo to decide
1.7Awaiting Construction2025-09-19
Kinneil Kerse Wastewater Treatment Works - Solar PV Array
Scottish Water · P/25/0213/FUL
Revised2025-08-06
Trinlaymire Farm - Solar farm, Battery storage
Trinlaymire Net Zero Solar Limited · 0568/FUL/24 · 3.9 mo to decide
29.9Awaiting Construction2024-12-20
Duddingston Solar Farm and Battery Storage
Aithrie Net Zero Solar Limited · 1016/FUL/23 · 2.7 mo to decide
29.9Awaiting Construction2024-04-03
Nettlehill Road - Solar Panels
Zestec Renewable Energy · 0042/FUL/24 · 1.1 mo to decide
2.8Awaiting Construction2024-02-29
The Vu, Roscam House - Solar Photovoltaics Array
Private Developer · 0586/FUL/23 · 4.9 mo to decide
Awaiting Construction2023-12-05
Maxwell Square, Brucefield - Solar Panels
Romold Limited · 0508/FUL/23 · 1.2 mo to decide
0.25Awaiting Construction2023-07-31
The Wyman Gordon Facility, Nettlehill Road- Solar Farm
Wyman-Gordon Limited · 0708/FUL/22 · 4.7 mo to decide
2Awaiting Construction2023-01-10
Heartland Terrace, Heartlands - Solar Photovoltaic Panels
Oil States Klaper Limited · 1006/FUL/22 · 1.5 mo to decide
0.53Awaiting Construction2022-12-16
Bathgate Waste Water Treatment - Solar Panels
Scottish Water · 0687/FUL/22 · 0.9 mo to decide
0.34Awaiting Construction2022-10-05
Blackburn Waste Water Treatrment, Redhouse Road - Solar Panels
Scottish Water · 0737/FUL/22 · 1.2 mo to decide
0.34Awaiting Construction2022-09-30
Selms Muir - Solar Farm
Renewable Connections · 0442/FUL/22 · 3.9 mo to decide
18Awaiting Construction2022-09-27
Uphall Park Development
Uphall Estates Limited · 1182/P/20 · 15.2 mo to decide
Application Refused2022-04-22
Uphall Business Park, Uphall - Solar PV Panels
Uphall Estates · 1132/FUL/21 · 1.7 mo to decide
0.33Awaiting Construction2022-03-04
Iron Mountain Building
Iron Mountain · 0153/FUL/19 · 1.3 mo to decide
0.3Operational2019-04-02
Aldi Distribution Centre
Aldi · LIVE/0087/FUL/15 · 0.7 mo to decide
1.3Operational2015-03-04

Does West Lothian approve solar farms?

Yes — of the 16 solar farms West Lothian has decided, 94% were approved (15 granted, 1 refused). The UK-wide rate for solar is 93%.

How long does a solar farm application take in West Lothian?

The median time from application to decision is 2.2 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 West Lothian consented?

89 MW has been consented across 15 approved schemes. A further 3 applications awaits a decision.

Other technologies in West Lothian

Battery storage in West LothianOnshore wind in West Lothian

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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