FEARS have been raised about a rural area turning into an “alien landscape” as a host of residents object to plans to install a huge turbine near Neilston and Uplawmoor.

As we previously reported, permission is being sought to erect the device, measuring 124.75 metres to blade tip, at a site 370 metres south of Nether Carswell Cottage off the Kingston Road.

The planning application, which is currently awaiting decision and has attracted 16 objections, was received by the council on April 23 and submitted by Andy Brand of St Ives-based Nether Carswell Limited.

It is a resubmission of an earlier application refused on April 3 this year due to socio-economic considerations and concerns it would have a “significant” detrimental impact on the landscape - a decision which is currently being appealed.

(Image: Colin Mearns)

Aileen Jackson, the owner of nearby Knockglass Farm in Uplawmoor, said: “This is a resubmission of planning application Ref: 2020/0578/TP.

“It contains no new information other than the socio-economic report which appears to be an overly optimist wish list compiled by the author who is also the applicant/agent and an offer of community benefit made under duress."

"It's scandalous what they're doing along the Kingston Road, plus the fact there are another two with consent on the Kingston Road that have not yet been constructed,” she added.

“The whole place looks like an alien landscape if you drive along the road now, especially at night with all the big red flashing aviation lights.

“Depending on the wind direction and the location of your property, whenever the blades pass in front of the lights it causes a strobing effect which is extremely disorientating for drivers at night, particularly on the Kingston Road and highly annoying for nearby residents when the flashing occurs inside their homes.”

(Image: Colin Mearns)

If passed, the new wind turbine would be located adjacent to the two operational Nether Carswell turbines, which have tip heights of 77m.

“The turbines on this site have gained planning consent as 'single' turbines whereas the second turbine and this proposed third turbine should have been classed as a 'wind farm' and 'an extension to a wind farm',” Aileen also noted in her detailed objection comment.

“The reason the applications have been submitted as 'single turbines' is because they enjoy less scrutiny than a wind farm and thus consent is easier to come by.

“What we now have before us is a wind farm by stealth which has not been properly scrutinized and will continue to grow one turbine at a time if a halt is not called now.

“It would stand 15m higher than the Neilston Windfarm turbines at 110m to tip, 20m taller than the Middleton Wind farm turbines at 105m to tip and 48m taller than the two other Carswell turbines.

"This is to say nothing of the Neilstonside turbine, additional Neilston turbine, South Uplaw turbines and Commore Bridge and Linnhead turbines.

“Sitting in an elevated position it would completely dominate the skyline and be out of sync with all the other turbines in the area.”

(Image: Colin Mearns)

Another objector, who said they would be “most affected by the wind turbine” which would be situated less than 1,000 metres from their home, described the visual impact as “unacceptable."

“Most alarming is the unacceptable noise levels which taken together with the cumulative impact of other wind turbines and the recent passing of the Dareduff quarry nearby would result in harm to our health,” they added.

A planning statement by Nether Carswell Three limited, which accompanied the application addressed the reasons for refusal for the previous application and included a number of points to support their case.

Among these it said: “The development would make a substantial and significant contribution to tackling climate change by generating electricity from a renewable source.

“The siting and design of the proposed development has been carefully thought out to minimise impacts so far as possible through a rigorous review of the project design and the inclusion of mitigation where available.

“The proposal would not lead to any unacceptable harm (both in isolation and when considered cumulatively with existing and proposed developments nearby) with regard to impacts on the character of the landscape or upon the visual component of residential amenity.

“The ecological interests of the area would not be compromised unacceptably by the development.

“The turbine would not, when considered individually or cumulatively, result in any adverse noise impacts such that the residential amenity of nearby occupiers would be unacceptably compromised."