The long awaited decision on appeal to Scottish ministers on North Ayrshire Council's refusal on the solar farm application on the top of Cumbrae has been delayed.

Appplicants Comsol Energy lodged an appeal with the Scottish Government after their bid to build on a site at Wee Minnemoer was turned down by North Ayrshire Council earlier this year.

The government's planning and environmental appeals division (DPEA) had set a target date of Thursday, December 28 for a decision on the appeal.

Stantec UK, Comsol Energy's agents on the application, contacted the DPEA in mid-November seeking an update on whether a decision would be made by that deadline. 

The case officer dealing with the appeal said at that time that the reporter investigating the case "cannot guarantee" to meet the December 28 deadline "due to other casework".

Stantec UK wrote to the DPEA again just before Christmas asking for an update - and this time they were told: "The reporter has advised that the case is well-advanced, but unfortunately the decision will not now be issued until early January."

Campaigners staged a protest at the highest point on the island back in October which gained nationwide publicity.

The company’s decision to appeal against NAC’s refusal in May sparked a call from Cumbrae Community Council for island residents to “rally for democracy” by gathering at the Glaid Stone – the highest point on the island – in the latest stage of their seven-year battle against the solar farm plans.

Keith Hammond, secretary of Cumbrae Community Council, said at the time of the rally: "The solar farm site would be 22 football pitches in size, 1.3 per cent of the small island’s total area.

“The site is important to wildlife because of its range of habitats, and is recognised by North Ayrshire Council as important for biodiversity with registered sightings of 56 bird species, 20 of which are endangered, as well as a number of rare plants and protected habitats."

Comsol has insisted the plans for a site at Millport would not impact tourism in the area - but local campaigners have hit back, questioning the proposed location for the site, and raising concerns over the impact on the local environment.

In Comsol's appeal to the Scottish Government, it points out that the Scottish Government declared a climate emergency in 2020, and their statutory target is to be at net zero by 2045, and in order to achieve this, there needs to be a significant increase in renewable energy generation of all types, including solar farms. 

They point out that aside from the objection from the Cumbrae Community Council, there were no other objections from statutory consultees, although there was one objection to the application from a non-statutory consultee, the Scottish Wildlife Trust.