A 50 metre high wind turbine can be installed in Neilston after planning permission was renewed despite objections from residents.
Harelaw Wind Turbine Ltd’s bid to erect the turbine has been granted by East Renfrewshire Council.
Permission for a turbine at Harelaw Wood to the south of Kingston Road had previously been awarded in 2015, but that consent lapsed and a new application, for an “identical development”, was submitted in 2018.
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A planning official told councillors: “Visually, the proposal was previously considered acceptable, and it is still considered that the local landscape can accommodate a turbine of this height without significant visual impacts.”
He recognised there were concerns over the noise impact but said the council’s environmental health team had no objections and had “updated noise control conditions to help protect local residents from disturbance”.
Councillors on East Renfrewshire’s planning committee approved the project unanimously.
There had been 10 objections to the plan, with concerns including noise and visual impact, the loss of trees and over-provision of turbines in East Renfrewshire.
A decision had been delayed while a noise complaint was assessed, with council officials reporting any issues could be “addressed by the provision of appropriate conditions”.
They recommended the scheme for approval, with a report stating the turbine design had “not altered from the original application” and will be “of the typical three blade type with a 50m hub height, 77m high to blade tip”.
It is expected to have a generating capacity of around 500kW and an operational life of 25 years.
An objector said the turbine will “undoubtedly cause some level of annoyance for nearby residents ranging from annoyed to very annoyed”.
“Thus this turbine will cause sleep deprivation and be detrimental to the health and wellbeing of nearby residents. There is no headroom for any more turbines.”
But planners believed as the project had been approved in 2014, the council had “already determined that in principle this turbine is acceptable”. They said the East Renfrewshire landscape “is capable of accommodating this turbine”.
A report added: “The updated noise assessment has been examined by the council's environmental health service and conditions have been recommended to reduce any noise impact on any nearby dwellings.”
Officials also reported the applicant had agreed to “undertake new planting” as some felling of trees had been “necessary to provide cleared site access track”.
