Public concern over a proposed 75-turbine windfarm’s effect on Moffat’s Golden Eagle numbers and dark sky status have forced a 20 per cent scaling back of the project.
Community Windpower Limited is changing its plans submitted to Dumfries and Galloway Council in November, 2020, for the Scoop Hill scheme.
The redesign for the site approximately 5km south east of Moffat will now be for 60 turbines and a battery storage facility.
The company said the changes were prompted by “extensive and iterative discussions with consultees and the local community”.
And that they recognise concerns relating to landscape and visual impacts, residential amenity, cultural heritage, dark skies and the South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project which is boosting number of the birds of prey in the area.
Rebecca Elliott, senior project manager for windfarm, said: “We are delighted to present these design alterations for our next-generation scheme at Scoop Hill.
“We have taken on board comments raised by consultees and the local community and have made significant, positive changes to the proposed layout, whilst also ensuring that clean, green energy will be generated to assist the Scottish Government with its Just Transition to Net Zero by 2045.
“I look forward to discussing the updated proposal with the community in the coming months.”
The company will be attending community council meetings and organising public exhibitions.
The “additional information” documentation will be submitted to the Scottish Government’s Energy Consents Unit in the spring with a detailed explanation of all the changes made to the proposed development.
These include a reduction in the tip heights of four turbines in the southern part of the scheme and the adoption of a reduced aviation night-time lighting scheme which has now been approved by the Civil Aviation Authority and the Ministry of Defence.
The reduced lighting scheme includes the lighting of just 17 perimeter turbines with visible aviation lighting on the nacelle only, which is a significant improvement compared to the original submission.
The project manager added: “CWL are also very pleased to announce that the community benefit funding provided to the host communities will now be £5,000 per megawatt (MW) in line with the Scottish Government guidance on community benefits.
“This will equate to £2.16 million per annum for the 40-year operational life of the windfarm.
“We are committed to maintaining strong working relationships with the local host communities, to provide them with long-term economic, social, and environmental
benefits.”
