Dumfries cooncillors told proposed wind farm extension is ‘not too noisy’ – but is too high

Cooncillors in Dumfries-shire have been told that a proposed 20-turbine extension to an existing wind farm with 66 turbines is ‘not too noisy’.

Officials at Dumfries and Galloway Cooncil have advised them to approve the application by Fred Olsen Renewables to enlarge its Windy Standard wind farm at Brockloch Rig, near Carsphairn.

A report to councillors noted “significant landscape, visual and cumulative effects” from the project. But it also said it would be difficult to argue that the scheme would be “materially different” to other wind farms approved in the area.

However, the John Muir Trust has formally objected to the proposed extension, which proposes 20 wind turbines consisting of eight turbines of a maximum height from base to tip not exceeding 125 m and a capacity of up to 3 MW, and a further 12 turbines of an overall height from base to tip not exceeding 177.5 m each with a capacity of up to 3.6 MW.

A spokesman for the trust said: “We are of the view that these excessively tall structures which would be significantly higher than any other wind turbines in Dumfries and Galloway and possibly Scotland are inappropriate to the landscape of the area, will have a detrimental impact on the peat on site and will have a negative socio economic impact.”

The Scottish government will make the final decision – irrespective of what local cooncillors decide.

12 Feb 2018