Have your say on windfarms in South Lanarkshire

Jan 21 2010

WINDFARM developments in South Lanarkshire could soon deliver enough energy to power 400,000 homes.

And interest in the area as a location for further renewable energy sites continues to grow.

In a bid to meet these challenges and to balance the needs of developers and communities, South Lanarkshire Council this week published `supplementary planning guidance’ for renewable energy developments.

Between now and the end of March, people can have their say on the content of the draft document and its associated background technical reports.

The aim of the new document is to provide an up-to-date approach to selecting and agreeing locations of such proposals.

Although the main focus of the guidance is on windfarms, it also provides advice on other forms of renewable energy, including 'micro-renewables' such as stand-alone turbines serving individual buildings.

The guidance is supplementary to the adopted South Lanarkshire Local Plan and when finalised will be a consideration in the assessment of planning applications.

South Lanarkshire currently has major windfarm developments already operating at Blacklaw, near Forth; Whitelee, near East Kilbride, and Hagshaw Hill near Douglas.

There are currently several other schemes under construction or approved, including the 152-turbine Clyde windfarm at Abington.

In total, these schemes could deliver an output of more than 800 megawatts. This would be enough energy to power 400,000 homes, three times the number of households in South Lanarkshire.

These developments all contribute to the national targets set by the Scottish Government for 50 per cent of Scotland's electricity demand to be met from renewable sources by 2020.

The guidance has been prepared following extensive assessment of the local environment and landscape and included a review of local landscape designations.

Planning committee chairman Graham Scott said: "The challenge for the council is to identify further locations for such developments which offer the right conditions for renewable energy generation without harming important environmental resources or affecting local communities. In essence, this Supplementary Planning Guidance sets out a framework to guide the future development of windfarms."

The draft document is available to view at libraries, Q&A offices and council planning offices across the authority, or on the planning pages of the council's website, www.southlanarkshire.gov.uk