March 25, 2013
Scotland

Council to consider 117 turbine requests

The Galloway Gazette | Sunday 24 March 2013 | www.gallowaygazette.co.uk

A further 117 wind turbines and monitoring masts could be on the cards for Galloway if a current wave of applications is passed.

The most prominent of these will be 11 turbines at a maximum height of 100m planned for land near the A75 at Shennanton, Kirkcowan, which one council source claimed would leave motorists “practically driving through them”.

PNE Wind Energy UK is at the early stages of its pro­posal but says it hopes to see a Shennanton Community Liaison Group set up through which it can “gain constructive feedback”. A community information event will be held in early May.

Such an event is to be held at Lagwyne Hall in Carsphairn next week relating to a 50-turbine project by Vattenfall for South Kyle Forest’s former mining district bordering Galloway and South Ayrshire and the A713 road from Castle Douglas to Ayr. The information event is set for Tuesday between 2pm and 8pm.

At next Wednesday’s planning meeting, the council will also be faced with applications for masts at Knockendurrick Hill, Gatehouse, which could result in 10 turbines from Banks Renewables; a mast at Mochrum Fell , Corsock, with a view to 15 turbines from 
Falck Renewables (which has prompted 233 objections), and E.ON has applied for a mast at Benbrack, Carsphairn, with the possibility of erecting 27 turbines.

Two farms in Whithorn – Cults and Baltier – have 
applied for a pair of turbines each, the highest being 47 
metres tall.

An application which drew more than 500 objections last year and which was rejected by local councillors is back on the cards after an appeal was lodged with the Scottish government this week. Plans for the 130m-high, six-turbine farm at Mayfield, Kirkcudbright, caused outrage in December.

And the council is being asked to give “neighbouring feedback” on plans by Scottish Power Renewables for a 14-turbine farm south of Ballantrae at Glen App, which is recommended for objection.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2013/03/25/council-to-consider-117-turbine-requests/