Solar farm plans receive go-ahead from council

Lewis Smith, Local democracy reporter

Proposals to build a new solar farm on agricultural land in Neath Port Talbot have been approved by the local authority.

The structures could now be built on land at Dreamfields, Llandarcy, on the western side of the of the B4290, around 1.8km away from Briton Ferry and 800m south-west of Jersey Marine.

Once completed the site will include a ground mounted solar PV array with a capacity of up to 1.3MW, along with the development of ancillary structures, fencing and landscaping works.

The plans were recommended for approval by officers and brought before Neath Port Talbot Council’s planning committee on April 22, 2025, for councillors to decide upon.

Here members heard how the site, based on a wider land holding formerly known as Gelli Bwch Farm, which was currently a mixture of open grassland and gorse scrub could be transformed.

Permission

The report read: “Full planning permission is sought for a proposed ground mounted solar PV array with a generating capacity of up to 1.3MW, including development of ancillary structures, fencing and landscaping works.”

Addressing the chamber, a representative speaking on behalf of the applicant said the site would be situated over two open, agricultural fields measuring 4.9 hectares in size.

They also noted that over 47 hectares would remain for agriculture at the site with the two proposed fields not considered as being high quality agricultural land.

Development 

The plans added that the PV array panels would be 2.5m high, rotational instead of fixed, and set in rows on a roughly east-west axis.

They would also include the development of 2 metre tall wire mesh security fencing to ensure the panels remained safe and secure during the operational phase of development.

The plans were later given the go-ahead by councillors after a unanimous vote.

Once built, the solar farm will likely have an operational lifespan of 25 years before it is decommissioned.