Wind farm near Langholm approved on appeal

A council's refusal of a wind farm described as "overly prominent and overwhelming" by officials has been overturned on appeal.

A Scottish government reporter concluded the 12-turbine Hopsrig scheme near Langholm was "appropriate in scale and character to its setting".

Dumfries and Galloway Council rejected the project due to concerns about its impact on the Eskdale valley.

However, it can now go ahead with a string of conditions attached.

The companies behind the scheme - Buccleuch and renewable energy firm Muirhall Energy - welcomed the decision.

'Economic benefit'

"We and our partners worked extremely hard to develop a proposal that can be accommodated within the landscape and aligned with the local authority's vision for the area," said Buccleuch chief executive John Glen.

"We now look forward to working closely with the local communities and other bodies to deliver significant economic benefit to the area as the wind farm progresses."

Alastair Yule, senior development manager with Muirhall Energy, said a lot of work still had to be done before the development was built.

"We have a policy of favouring local suppliers on all of our projects and hope that local businesses will get involved as we look forward to delivering the wind farm," he added.