Plans for site of former Fife opencast mine to become solar farm

This is a major component for the restoration of the Westfield Opencast Coal Site with Fife Council granting owners Hargreaves Land planning permission in principle for the regeneration project over two years ago.

A planning statement submitted by agent Andrew Russell of Axis PED Ltd reads: “Planning permission in principle was granted by Fife Council on August 15, 2018, which sets the framework for future built development at the Westfield site.

“One of the development components defined within the parameters plan is the terrestrial solar farm.”

The solar farm would be located in the south west corner of the site and involve the installation of static photovoltaic panels mounted to steel and aluminium frame covering an area of about 80 acres within the 1049-acre site.

The landscape design will comprise the retention of existing tree cover along the northern and western boundaries with the reinforcement of new planting comprising native tree and shrub species.

The same part of the site had previously received planning permission for the construction of a biomass and wood pellet manufacturing plant, but that expired in 2017.

Mr Russell wrote: “This was a very large scale proposal, with significant aerial emissions and HGV transportation movements.

“The lapse of this planning permission actually reduces the potential cumulative effects of the restoration and regeneration project.”

Elsewhere on the site planning consent has already been granted for a 22 mw energy from waste facility.