Ampyr Solar Europe have applied for planning permission to construct the 120 acre facility on a farm site south of Newton.

The development will consist of 82,500 panels, which Ampyr have describe as being able to supply the electricity needs of 9,300 homes per year and save on average 15,100 tonnes of carbon per year.

The panels will be raised off the ground between 0.6 and 3.5 metres, which would still allow the land to be used for livestock grazing.

The proposed development also includes a battery energy storage system to store and supply power when the sun doesn’t shine.

The planning application has still to be determined, and will go through the usual planning process before a decision is made to approve or refuse the application.

A Proposal of Application Notice (PAN) was submitted to West Lothian Council on September 2022, with a community consultation event held in Newton in November 2022.