COUNCILLORS are being advised to object to plans for a windfarm extension in Ae Forest.
Dumfries and Galloway is being consulted on the proposal by Scottish Power Renewables UK Ltd to add eight more turbines, each 200 metres high, to the Harestanes South site, near Parkgate.
Immediately to the north is the existing Harestanes Wind Farm, above, which has 68 turbines all at 125m tip height.
Also nearby is Minnygap Wind Farm with ten turbines.
The council’s own landscape experts are opposing it and have described it as an ‘inappropriate development in the context of sensitive valley landscapes’.
They consider Harestanes South to be ‘an inappropriately large scaled and lit development’ and have concerns about cumulative landscape and visual effects, particularly on Annandale and lower Nithsdale.
In his detailed report, planner John Hiscox said: “The assessment of the proposal has highlighted harmful landscape and visual effects which are considered to be greater than localised, are unacceptable and would give rise to impacts that conflict overall with the adopted
Development Plan and council guidance.
“It is therefore recommended that Dumfries and Galloway Council indicates that it objects to the proposal, in the light of unacceptable landscape and visual impacts that would arise.”
The case will be discussed at the planning committee in Dumfries on Wednesday morning.
At that meeting, members will also consider applications for the Hopsrig Windfarm between Lockerbie and Langholm, featuring 12 turbines.
And they will look at a bid for the Loganhead Windfarm also between Langholm and Lockerbie and with eight turbines.
