Campaigners say wind turbine plans will 'completely change' Galloway's landscape

ITV News

14-07-2025

Campaigners say plans to build nine wind turbines on a Galloway hillside will "completely change" its rural landscape.
Renewable energy developer Wind2 says its Lairdmannoch Energy Park plans could generate enough power for more than sixty-five thousand homes and offset nearly 100,000 tonnes of carbon each year.
Data collected across six community exhibitions in the area, over the last 18 months, revealed that only 24% of respondents said they support the proposal, while 33% said they are against the project, out of the 93 people surveyed.
Matthew James, from Glengap Community Group, says the proposals - if approved - will be detrimental to the 'natural beauty' of Dumfries and Galloway.
He said: "It will completely change it forever. These turbines would be nearly 600ft high. If you consider that the land it would be laid upon would be over seven hundred feet high, that's over 13ft high above the sea level, towering to the sky. That's slightly taller than the Empire State Building in New York.
"At that height, it's imperative that they have to have aviation lights. They will glow in the sky and can be seen up to 36 miles away."
Highlighting the potential impact on the area's Golden Eagle population, he added: "Golden Eagles are a protected species, they're iconic to Scotland, they're poignant to Scotland, they're part of its history in many respects. In August last year, at an energy park just north of here, one died because of the blades."
'We've conducted two years of extensive bird surveys as part of our Environmental Impact Assessment. This included collision risk modelling and population viability assessments, following best-practice guidance from NatureScot and the RSPB.
Wind2 says they have conducted two years of bird surveys as part of an Environmental Impact Assessment. The company said: 'Golden Eagles have not been recorded at the site, although red kites are present in the wider area. Our assessments show the project poses, in planning terms, no unacceptable risk to protected species.
"We remain open to further discussion with conservation groups, including those involved in the South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project, to ensure we continue to align with environmental priorities."
The planning application is currently under review with the Scottish Government.
It's expected that the solar panels and up to nine wind turbines with heights of 180m would generate more than 220,000 megawatts of electricity per year.
In a statement, Wind2 said: 'We understand the importance of the local landscape and recognise that people care deeply about the views around their homes and communities.
'Lairdmannoch Energy Park has been designed to reduce the visual impact where possible, particularly in relation to the Fleet Valley National Scenic Area, which lies approximately 5km west of the site.
'Our design team has taken great care to make the turbines as inconspicuous as possible from sensitive areas - there is very limited visibility from within the heart of the national scenic area.
'Lairdmannoch Energy Park isn't within a nationally designated area and therefore, under Scottish planning policy, the area is considered to have the capacity to accommodate renewable energy generation.'
Local art historian Jo Chapman said: "For me, the whole of Galloway is such a special place in terms of archaeology, art history and history. The report is so vague about how they're actually going to avoid disrupting some of these archaeological sites."
Residents Caroline and Vic Odell said: "There are a lot of fears about living here because we're going to hear them, quite definitely. It's going to ruin the dark sky area. There are so many, so many things. We don't need any more. We're overproducing in Dumfries and Galloway."
Renewable energy developer Wind2 says they have agreed on a reduced lighting scheme with the Civil Aviation Authority, which means only four of the nine turbines will have lights installed. They also hope to deliver more than £300,000 per year in community benefit funding, totalling up to £9.3m over the project's operational lifetime of 30 years.