A decision on whether to grant planning permission for a huge solar energy site covering an area equivalent to 10 Wembley stadiums is with Welsh Government planning inspectors.

The mammoth 117 hectare development is earmarked for Gwernigron Farm, to the north-east of St Asaph, Denbighshire, between the A55 and A525.

It’s a development of national significance (DNS), so whether to grant permission for it will rest with the Planning Inspectorate, not Denbighshire council.

As part of its pre-application process Solarcentury, the company proposing the scheme, conducted a public consultation and sought the views of the local authority in November last year.

Now it has moved to the application stage and Denbighshire council is being invited to make further comments on the development, which could harvest 62 megawatts of power from the sun’s rays.

The applicants claim it would produce enough renewable  electricity to power 20,000 homes for a year.

The planning supporting statement said it was seeking “construction of a solar farm and energy storage hybrid park, together with all associated works, equipment and necessary infrastructure.”

That would include 25 battery storage units to harness the power, which will also be built on the site, with underground cables sending electricity to a substation in Trefnant ward.

The application seeks temporary permission for the site for a period of 37 years.

Solarcentury has promised local job opportunities and supply contacts for businesses in the area if the plans go ahead.

In 2017, Welsh Government announced a target of meeting 70 per cent of Wales’ electricity demand from Welsh renewable electricity sources by 2030.

By 2018 half of the country’s electricity was being generated by renewable sources.

Denbighshire council declared a climate emergency in 2019 and said it would aim to make the county carbon neutral by 2030.

The Environment (Wales) Act sets a target to reduce emissions by at least 80 per cent from 1990 levels by 2050.

The Climate Change Strategy for Wales committed to at least a 40 per cent reduction in all greenhouse gas emissions in Wales by 2020 against 1990 baselines.

Despite being developed on what is considered good arable land the company still believes sheep could graze there after completion.

It has also promised to work with ecological partners to leave gaps for hedgerows and wildlife, and is looking to make the area a better environment for bumblebees.

At the initial stage of consultation last year, Local Friends of the Earth campaigners welcomed the plans.

A spokesman said: “Local community ownership, in full or in part, of renewable energy generation is one way to ensure that the people who live near can benefit from the change of land use”.

If the application is successful, construction and completion of the project is anticipated to take between three and eight months during 2022.