Moffat wind farm project opposed by councillors

Community Windpower wants to build 60 turbines at Scoop Hill

Councillors have gone against planning officer advice and opposed proposals for a major wind farm in southern Scotland.

They had been recommended not to object to the 60-turbine Scoop Hill scheme a few miles south east of Moffat.

However, they voted to oppose the project on the grounds of its visual and landscape impact.

The final say on the Community Windpower development will lie with the Scottish government.

The large-scale scheme was scaled back last year following concerns about its impact on cultural heritage, dark skies and golden eagles in the area.

Developers had initially wanted to construct 75 turbines but they reduced that to 60 following discussions with the community.

Despite the reduction in scale, Dumfries and Galloway Council's planning committee decided to oppose the project at the end of a lengthy debate.

They voted 9-4 in favour of lodging an objection to the development.

'Extremely disappointed'

Rod Wood, managing director of Community Windpower, said he was "extremely disappointed" and "baffled" by the decision to go against planning officer advice.

“Our confusion is compounded by the fact that Scoop Hill is located in their own preferred area for such developments and that it has been significantly reduced in size, in accordance with advice given by their own landscape architect," he said.

“By taking this decision, councillors are standing in the way of a project that will create hundreds of jobs, bring in tens of millions of pounds of local investment and help fight climate change by decarbonising the energy grid and providing clean, green electricity."