LOCAL MP David Mundell has welcomed the news today that the planning application to locate a 60-turbine windfarm development at Scoop Hill near Moffat has been rejected by the Scottish Government.
The local politician had formally objected to the application, which would have had a huge and adverse visual and landscape impact on the surrounding area and also backed the local campaign against the plan.
The news has also been welcomed by Moffat-based MSP Craig Hoy, who is campaigning for a change in the planning system to help protect rural communities from repeat applications from windfarm and battery storage developers.
David Mundell said: “This is entirely the right decision and will come as a massive relief to everyone in the community who was opposed to the application.
“The plan to locate 60 wind turbines at Scoop Hill would have had a huge impact, damaging the natural heritage of the area and potentially also the local tourism sector.
“The sheer scale of the proposed development would have made the turbines visible from the towns of Moffat, Beattock, Lockerbie and Lochmaben, along with many smaller villages and communities and the M74, making a lasting and negative impact on the landscape of Mid and Upper Annandale.
“Over recent years there has been considerable focus on wind farm development in Annandale, with 1000 wind turbines already located within the area, and like most local people my view is that we have taken as many of these developments as we can.
“My congratulations go to everyone involved in objecting to this proposal and who took part in the planning inquiry. It does go to show that when a community stands together against an unwanted application like this, it really can make a difference.”
Craig Hoy MSP said: “The industrialisation of the rural landscape is an issue I have repeatedly raised in Parliament and indeed have directly called on the Scottish Government to call a halt to all large-scale windfarm developments.
“While the decision to refuse Scoop Hill is the right one, the fact remains that developers come back time and time and time again with applications, variations of the same theme. They only have to win once, whereas the community have to stand up repeatedly to these developments.
“The current system is stacked against communities who simply want to enjoy their current quality of life without living near mega-renewable sites and that’s why I will continue to press the Scottish Government for a change to the planning system that supports communities in rural areas like Dumfriesshire.”
