Solar Panels & BESS (49.9 MW)
Solar Panels & BESS is a 49.9 MW solar farm project in Fife, Scotland. Its status in the Renewable Energy Planning Database (July 2026 extract) is: application submitted on 2 April 2025, no decision recorded; the record was last updated on 24 June 2025. As a project over 50 MW in Scotland, it is decided by Scottish Ministers under Section 36.
Planning timeline
| Date | Stage |
|---|---|
| 2 April 2025 | Application submitted |
Project details
- Technology
- solar farm
- Capacity
- 49.9 MW
- Status (REPD)
- application submitted
- Record last updated
- 24 June 2025
- Operator or applicant
- BLC Energy
- Planning authority
- Scottish Government (S36)
- Planning application reference
- ECU00006134
- Site area
- 103.0 ha
- Council area (by location)
- Fife
- Name in REPD
- West Springfield Solar Farm - Solar Panels & BESS
- REPD reference
- 18944
The scheme also includes 35 MW of battery storage, recorded separately in REPD (application submitted).
Who decides
As a project over 50 MW in Scotland, it is decided by Scottish Ministers under Section 36. Scottish Government (S36) refused 18% of 334 decided solar, wind and battery applications in REPD (median 127 weeks to a decision). Across all UK planning authorities 19% of 10,236 decided applications were refused.
Other large projects within 10 km
| Project | Type | MW | Status | km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Over Rankeilour Farm Solar Farm | solar farm | 29.9 | application submitted | 3.5 |
| Fife Tractors, Drum Road | battery storage | 12.5 | refused | 3.7 |
| Ferrymuir | battery storage | 49.9 | under construction | 4.1 |
| Clatto Farm Turbines | wind farm | 6 | refused on appeal | 5.9 |
| Devon Wood | wind farm | 12.5 | refused on appeal | 6.8 |
| Clatto | wind farm | 30 | refused | 7.3 |
| Auchtermuchty Wind Farm | wind farm | 10 | refused | 7.8 |
| Gathercauld | wind farm | 15.6 | refused | 9.9 |
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 (56.2958, -3.0866).