Developers eye DG for another wind farm

London-based Artfield Forest Windfarm Ltd is looking to install another 12 wind turbines on a site near to the Artfield Fell windfarm, which has 15 currently in operation.
There are also numerous other windfarms in operation, or consented to be built, within 18km in various directions.
Scottish Ministers have consulted Dumfries and Galloway Council about the latest development, and the local authority has raised no objections, subject to some standard conditions.
The matter will be discussed at the council’s planning committee next Wednesday.
A report for then reads: “The application site, which covers an area of around 800 hectares, is situated within an area of commercial forestry plantation located approximately 7km east-northeast of New Luce, 9km north-west of Kirkcowan and 15 km west of Newton Stewart.
“The construction period of the proposed windfarm would be anticipated to last around 18 months.”
The Scottish Government has the final say on whether or not this proposed windfarm goes ahead, but council officers have not opposed the move.
They acknowledged that there would be effects on the “visual amenity” for dispersed farms and cottages including Artfield Fell, Low Aries Farm, Fell of Loch Ronald, and Mark of Loch Ronald, as well as the Three Lochs Caravan Park.
However, the council report added that previously-consented windfarms and a shift in baseline requirements means this proposals is “in the range of acceptability”.
A campaign group recently called on political parties to “prioritise” landscapes over windfarms in their manifestos for May’s Holyrood elections.
Save Our Hills Dumfries and Galloway wrote to party bosses calling for alternatives to onshore turbines to be explored as part of the development of energy and planning policy.
And they feel more importance should be given to the opinions of local people when councils and the Scottish Government make decisions on planning applications.