Kells Solar Farm (50 MW)
Kells Solar Farm is a 50 MW solar farm project in Mid and East Antrim, Northern Ireland. Its status in the Renewable Energy Planning Database (July 2026 extract) is: application submitted on 26 June 2015, no decision recorded; the record was last updated on 5 February 2016. The application was submitted more than two years ago and is still shown as pending; it may have been decided since. Check the planning authority's register for the latest position.
The application was submitted more than two years ago and is still shown as pending; it may have been decided since. 32% of applications still shown as pending in REPD were submitted more than two years ago, and only 37% of pending records were updated in the last 12 months, so some of them may already have been decided.
Planning timeline
| Date | Stage |
|---|---|
| 26 June 2015 | Application submitted |
Project details
- Technology
- solar farm
- Capacity
- 50 MW
- Status (REPD)
- application submitted
- Record last updated
- 5 February 2016
- Operator or applicant
- Elgin Energy EsCo
- Planning authority
- Antrim and Newtownabbey
- Planning application reference
- LA03/2015/0234/F
- Address (REPD)
- Lands Extending NW And SE Of, Whappstown Road, Moorfields, Castlegore, Ballymena
- Council area (by location)
- Mid and East Antrim
- REPD reference
- 6012
Earlier applications for this site
| Application | MW | Submitted | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Govals Wind Farm 12/00570/EIAL | 4.8 | 7 June 2012 | refused 15 May 2013 |
| Kells Solar Farm LA01/2015/0980/F | 25 | 27 November 2015 | replaced by a revised application |
Who decides
| Applications | Antrim and Newtownabbey | UK |
|---|---|---|
| Decided applications (solar, wind, battery) | 40 | 10,236 |
| Refused | 8 (20%) | 19% |
| Solar refused | 4 of 14 | 12% |
| Onshore wind refused | 3 of 19 | 45% |
| Battery storage refused | 1 of 7 | 16% |
| Median time from submission to decision | 48.1 weeks | 17.0 weeks |
| Appeals lodged / allowed | 7 / 3 | — |
UK: all UK planning authorities. Counted under these REPD planning authority names: Antrim and Newtownabbey, South Antrim.
Other large projects within 10 km
| Project | Type | MW | Status | km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Energy Storage System Development in Ballymena | battery storage | 79 | approved, not built | 1.4 |
| Whappstown & Castlegore Windfarms | wind farm | 23.1 | approved, not built | 1.7 |
| Carncome, Lislunnan Road | battery storage | 150 | approved, not built | 2.7 |
| Corby Knowe | wind farm | 5 | operational | 2.9 |
| Wolf Bog Wind Farm | wind farm | 8.8 | operational | 4.3 |
| Cloghinarney | wind farm | 13.8 | refused on appeal | 5.5 |
| Drumadarragh Wind Farm | wind farm | 8 | refused on appeal | 6.4 |
| Douglas Top | wind farm | 51 | application withdrawn | 6.4 |
| Steeple Road | solar farm | 25 | approved, not built | 8.0 |
Status and dates as recorded in the Renewable Energy Planning Database (July 2026 extract); the database is compiled from public sources and can lag behind council decisions. Location: REPD grid reference (54.8098, -6.147).