Valley faces another large-scale windfarm: Plans submitted to build up to 25 220m turbines at Callisterhall

ANOTHER large-scale windfarm is being proposed for a site on the outskirts of Langholm.
E Power Limited plans to build up to 25 turbines at a height of 220m at Callisterhall, 4.25km west of the town on the Lockerbie road.
The company intends to submit an application for consent under Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989, which means it will be dealt with directly by the Scottish government’s Energy Consent Unit (ECU).
It is currently going through the pre-application process and has submitted scoping reports and maps showing proposed turbine locations.
A resident of Westwater contacted the E&L Advertiser to say the company had not contacted them yet and they were concerned they were not being consulted.
Charlie Clapperton of Westwater Farm said the number of turbines all around Langholm from Lockerbie to Hawick was becoming horrendous.
He heard about the plan only through a neighbour’s sister who accidentally came across it online.
He said: “None of us has been written to. We just got hold of a map showing the windfarm would be spread across several different landowners, including Winterhope and Westwater forest and farther west.
“We haven’t yet got in touch with the company to ask why we haven’t been contacted. I think it’s quite amazing that it hasn’t written to the residents of Callisterhall or anyone else nearby.”
He said one resident had been in touch with Oliver Mundell, Dumfriesshire MSP, and he told them it was “really bad news”.
The neighbours are now trying to get organised to find out more.
The paper contacted both E Power Ltd and RPS Group, which is handling the application, but neither responded to questions about a public consultation.
The main scoping report covers issues such as hydrology, landscape, ecology, noise and vibration, access, traffic and transport, ornithology, the historic environment and forestry.
The site has an overall area of about 2,073 hectares. The Water of Milk is to the west.
The northern boundary is next to Ewe Hill windfarm and Craig windfarm is about 1.6km to the north east.
The eastern boundary is bordered by the Logan Water, while the southern boundary partially encloses Winterhope Reservoir. The south east of the site lies along the B7068.
There are a number of residential properties within the site, mostly farms, while others are on the Lockerbie road.

The proposed development is to the immediate south of the 22-turbine Ewe Hill windfarm (110m to blade tip).
To the east of that site consent has been approved for the eight-turbine Loganhead windfarm (135m) and further east of that is the six-turbine Craig wind farm (99.5m).
To the immediate north and north west of Ewe Hill lie the approved 12-turbine Hopsrig windfarm (140m), the approved 10-turbine Crossdykes windfarm (176.5m) and the proposed nine turbines at Little Hartfell windfarm (160m).
Further afield are the 16-turbine Minsca windfarm (121m) and the approved 15-turbine Solwaybank (126.5m).
They lie about 2.7km to the south west and 1.4km to the south east of the site respectively.
The scoping report does not mention Faw Side which is currently being considered by the ECU. It runs from Ewes up to Teviothead and across to Bentpath and will have 45 turbines at a maximum height of 200m, if approved.
Dumfries and Galloway Council’s local development plan says it will support development proposals for all renewable energy, provided it does not individually or in combination have unacceptable significant adverse impacts on a range of listed criteria.
The council will assess acceptability by looking at landscape and visual impact; cumulative impact; impact on nearby communities; impact on aviation and defence interests; the natural and historic environment; cultural heritage; biodiversity, forest and woodlands; and tourism and recreational interests.
The scoping report says: “The socio-economic and tourism effects are not considered to give rise to significant effects on a regional or national level and will not be considered in an impact assessment chapter of the Environmental Impact Assessment report.
“A separate factual statement on the socio-economic benefits will be included in the planning statement.”
On the cumulative effects of multiple windfarms, the report says: “They will be considered where the proposed development, in combination with other windfarms, would result in direct or indirect effects on landscape character types or areas within the study area.”