ScottishPower Renewables (SPR) has been given approval by the Scottish government for a 13-turbine extension to the 120MW Arecleoch wind farm located in South Ayrshire and Dumfries & Galloway in south-west Scotland.
The green light for the 72.8MW increase in capacity to the existing SPR project, operational since 2011, follows a public inquiry after council objections to the plans.
South Ayrshire Council had objected to the extension on the grounds of its visual impacts on the Duisk Valley and Glen Tig landscape, as well as the “overbearing” effects that would caused by the project to nearby residential dwellings.
The council also felt that lighting on the turbines to warn aviation of its presence would impact the area’s “dark skies”.
However, the inquiry determined that the turbines would be “sufficiently set back within the upland plateau and would not detract from the overall landscape character” and the impacts of aviation lighting would be “limited”.
It also concluded that the “residential visual amenity threshold” would not be breached by the extension.
Therefore, the Scottish government determined that any impacts from the proposals are “acceptable in the context of the benefits” that the wind farm will bring.
Dumfries & Galloway Council did not object to the project.