Aviation traffic bosses in Ayrshire have been given the green light to generate more than a fifth of their electrical needs from solar energy.
NATS Prestwick previously submitted plans to install more than 2000 solar panels at their base in a bid to reduce their carbon footprint.
Those proposals have now been approved by local authority planners and they involve the installation of 1402 solar panels on building rooftops and a further 798 mounted on the ground.
NATS Prestwick say the scheme should help them become carbon negative across their estates by 2040.
In their design and access statement NATS Prestwick said: “NATS are pleased to be able to submit this detailed planning application to seek approval for the layout and design of the ground and roof mounted solar panels at the Prestwick Centre.
“These proposals present a significant investment by NATS and are a sign of their long-term commitment to the site; local area; and further contribute to the overall sustainability of the NATS operations in Prestwick.
“As a responsible operator, NATS is continually seeking to improve the sustainability of their facilities. NATS is working towards minimising their direct environmental impact and seeking to become carbon negative across their estates by 2040.
“The Prestwick Centre has been identified as a site which presents the ideal opportunity to utilise solar panels – the power from which can be used to provide renewable electricity to support the NATS Prestwick operation.”
The Prestwick Centre is located within an industrial area, comprising Glenburn Industrial Estate. The site is accessed from Fresson Avenue, to the north.
Up to 2,200 panels (500W and 540W panels) are to be installed across the site. This is split between two areas: 1,402 panels on the roof of the centre and 798 ground mounted panels located on grassed areas.
The proposed area will have a peak capacity of up to 1,131 KWP and be capable of delivering up to 21 per cent of the electricity requirements for operations at the NATS Prestwick site. NATS (En Route) PLC is the UK’s best known provider of air traffic control services, and in a typical year handles over 2.5 million flights and 250 million passengers.
NATS operate two air traffic control centres in the UK- Swanwick in Hampshire and Prestwick. As part of their daily operations, NATS (Swanwick and Prestwick) control on average 6,000 flights in any 24-hour period efficiently and safely across UK controlled airspace.
NATS employs over 4,000 people, including air traffic controllers, engineers and other specialists. The Prestwick Centre was officially opened in 2010 by HRH The Princess Royal.
NATS Prestwick is continuously operational, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year and the centre is responsible for the constant control of 2.84 million square kilometres of airspace. NATS Prestwick controls almost all air traffic travelling between the US and Northern Europe, employing over 700 staff at the centre to do so. This makes NATS one of the largest private employers in Ayrshire.
In approving the plan, council papers said: “The supporting information accompanying the planning application has demonstrated that the solar panels, by virtue of their careful siting to an appropriate location with the NATS campus, will not have an adverse impact on the amenity of the closest residential properties to the site or other land uses, including the operational activities of Glasgow Prestwick Airport.
“The siting and design of the solar panels also ensure that they will not detract from the overall character and amenity of the industrial environment to which they relate. Finally, weight in the overall assessment is also given to the fact no objections to the proposal have been received from consultees and no representations have been received from any interested parties to the planning application.”