Councillors have backed plans for a North Wales solar energy farm the size of 10 Wembley Stadiums, in principal.

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

It would harvest 62 megawatts of power from the sun’s rays if it gets the green light from Welsh Government.

As part of the scheme 25 battery storage units to harness the power will also be built on the site, with underground cables sending electricity to a substation in Trefnant ward.

The mammoth project is a development of national significance (DNS), so whether to grant permission for it will rest with Welsh Government’s planning inspectorate, not Denbighshire council.

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

Its planning committee discussed the plan at a meeting on Wednesday afternoon and voted unanimously to back it in principal.

However they said that was subject to the formal application to Welsh government and a “local impact review” which would analyse the finished proposals.

The site lies in Denbighshire councillor Peter Scott’s ward of St Asaph West and will be visible from the A55 and some historic buildings in the area.

He said his one concern was the site was on good agricultural ground. However he backed the scheme.

He said: “I think it will be a good thing for the area but trying to get that through to the public is another matter.

“At this point in time I support the proposal.”

Denbighshire council development manager Paul Mead said councillors would have the opportunity to make further representations on the detailed proposals when a local impact report comes back to them, as part of the public enquiry stage of the planning inspector’s process.

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% 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.

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.

Local Friends of the Earth campaigners have welcomed the plan but 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”.

The next stage for the company is to lodge a formal application with Welsh Government, with its planning inspectorate likely to hold an inquiry over the next 12 months.

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