A completely new application for Mochrum Fell Wind farm in Dumfries and Galloway will be filed shortly (due to an appeal court ruling) to:
Increase turbine tip heights from 126.5m to 149.9m
Accommodate an increase in rotor diameter from up to 103m to up to 140m;
Remove the most prominent turbine (Turbine 5), reducing the overall number from eight to seven;
Increase the operational life from 25 years to 30 years.
It is no longer possible to achieve the change through a previously proposed Section 42 variation request, hence the new full application (see link below for an explanation on Sec 42 variation).
Note: Section 42 (Sec 73 in England) applications carry fees of between £200 and £300 while full planning applications can cost more than £100,000 (typically less in Scotland) plus Environmental Impact Assessment requirements may be more onerous. Some smaller projects could fall by the wayside if the planning fee cannot be justified but it will not affect Sec 36 wind farms as they fall under the 1989 Electricity Act.
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