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Air traffic control concerns over plans for 200m tall wind turbines

Giancarlo RinaldiSouth Scotland reporter
News imageChris Wimbush A gravel road, bordered by a stone wall on the left and a mound of earth on the right, winds its way through a fairly barren landscape to some wind turbinesChris Wimbush
The original Hare Hill wind farm is one of the oldest in Scotland

The body responsible for managing the UK's airspace has objected to plans to repower one of Scotland's oldest wind farms.

NATS (National Air Traffic Services) said the proposals at Hare Hill - which straddles the border between Dumfries and Galloway and East Ayrshire - would have an impact on radar which was "unacceptable" to air traffic control at Prestwick.

There are currently 55 turbines on the site but Scottish Power Renewables wants to decommission them over time and ultimately replace them with 23 new, taller ones.

However, NATS said the impact on Great Dun Fell and Lowther radar could reduce its ability to detect aircraft and objected to the proposals in their current form.

NATS is a statutory consultee for all wind farm applications and assesses the potential impact of every proposed development in the UK.

In that role it has raised its concerns about the turbine plans between New Cumnock and Kirkconnel.

The first phase of Hare Hill - with 20 turbines about 63m (200ft) high - is one of the country's oldest and became operational in 1999.

An extension consisting of 35 turbines - standing 91m (300ft) high - came online about 18 years later.

News imageThomas Nugent A view from above the clouds of wind turbines dotted across the south of Scotland landscapeThomas Nugent
The wind farm straddles the border between East Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway

If approved, Scottish Power Renewables would replace all of them on a phased basis.

The first stage would see the oldest turbines removed and replaced with 15 new ones.

Then, about eight years later, the remaining 35 would make way for eight more.

The new turbines would stand between 150m (490ft) and 200m (650ft) high.

That increase in scale has prompted NATS to oppose the plans which will be decided by the Scottish government.

Scottish Power Renewables said that by repowering the site it could produce more than three times the electricity it currently provides.

It said that could meet the energy needs of about 75,000 homes.

It added that feedback from communities had been taken on board in developing its plans and local projects had already received millions of pounds from a benefit fund linked to the development.