A major solar park in west Cumbria has been unanimously approved by planners.

Members of Copeland’s planning panel have agreed proposals for nearly 18,000 solar panels to be built on a three fields between Thornhill and Beckermet.

The scheme would see a 5MW solar park, with 17,784 solar panels being built on three fields. The site would generate power for around 1,500 homes.

Sixty-four letters of support were sent to Copeland Council, and only two letters of objections.

Sam Mateer, councillor for the Beckermet ward, backed the scheme claiming it would be “a welcome addition for power supplies for the Energy Coast”.

He added: “It should be noted that the parishes directly affected by the proposals, Haile and Wilton Parish Council, and Beckermet with Thornhill Parish Council, have not wavered in their support for the proposals, even when they were potentially larger.”

Councillors heard that plans for the solar park have been “substantially amended”, as the original scheme featured 19,584 solar panels covering all five fields.

However, a review by a landscape consultant claimed that the original proposal would “potentially have significant effects on the rural character of the site, and its setting”.

Patrick McKeown, for the applicant Green Energy Ltd, said as a result the scheme has been amended, by one third and changes include a landscape scheme and fencing.

He said the company has “worked closely with the Lake District National Park” to produce the amended scheme.

“In that respect we have listened to their concerns and come up with a scheme that addresses their concerns,” he said.

The scheme has a host of benefits, he says, including powering 1,500 homes, a boost in green credentials and community benefits.

Following the amendments, a wide range of organisations were consulted including Lake District National Park, Beckermet with Thornhill Parish Council and Flood and Coastal Defence Engineer, and there were no objections.

Egremont Town Council raised concerns about cumulative impact on the A595 and visual impact on the local community. The site, spanning five fields in total at Yeorton Hall Farm, would feature two substations, security fencing and access tracks.

It will take around three months to build.