MEMBERS of Dumfries and Galloway Council’s planning committee will meet on Tuesday to consider an application for a windfarm in Upper Nithsdale.

An initial proposal for 30 turbines, lodged by renewable energy developer Burcote Wind, was knocked back by the Scottish Government earlier this year on the basis of landscape and visual impact.

The decision regarding the development at Sandy Knowe, which lies south-west of Kirkconnel/Kelloholm and west of Sanquhar, had attracted considerable public support and the company maintained a dialogue with the community.

They have since brought forward new proposals for the site which address the issue of landscape and visual impact and involves a reduced 24-turbine scheme, with a total installed capacity of 48 megawatts.

Reducing the capacity will enable the decision to be made locally on the project by councillors on Tuesday, March 22.

Burcote Wind have said that the project has the potential to power approximately 35,500 homes, around 51 per cent of all households in Dumfries and Galloway, while the associated community benefit would boost the local economy.

A series of public exhibitions were staged in June when people from the communities of Kirkconnel, Kelloholm and Sanquhar out forward suggestions for the benefit fund which will be worth up to £240,000 annually.