Is the thermal expansion valve accessible and replaceable from the engine bay?

[callumhind]

Can’t seem to find a definitive answer online, so thought I’d ask here.

Been having some issues with the air con leaking for around a year now. I’ve had three garages tell me three different sources of the leak (condenser, evaporator, and now the thermal expansion valve). Both the condenser and evaporator have been replaced at various points over the last year, but now a third garage is telling me that the thermal expansion valve could be faulty, and that it’s a dash out job.

From what I’ve seen, it looks like it could be accessible from the engine bay, which would make the job a million times easier, but from reading online I haven’t got a conclusive answer. Does anyone happen to have any idea if this is the case or not, or will the dash have to be partially disassembled at the very least in order to get at it and change it?

Cheers!