Solar farm plan is approved by West Northamptonshire Council Published 20 July

Plans for a solar farm which could power more than 10,000 homes when built has been approved.

The Glassthorpe Solar Farm will be built on farmland off Brington Road, north of the M1 in Flore and near Little Brington, Northamptonshire.

EDF Energy Renewables, which will operate the farm, said it will feed into the National Grid.

The farm was approved unanimously by West Northamptonshire Council's strategic planning committee.

Planning officers had recommended the project but concerns were voiced by the charity Campaigning For the Countryside Northamptonshire about its impact on agricultural land.

US aluminium giant Alcoa has said that its net profits fell from a year ago as the company kicked off US earnings season.

It made a net income in the first quarter of $94m (£59m), compared with $308m in the same period last year.

This was partly due to a 9% drop in the sale price of aluminium, said Alcoa, which is the world's largest producer of the metal.

But it is better than the previous quarter when Alcoa made a $191m loss.