Lethans Extension

What is happening next?

Banks Renewables has now submitted a planning application under Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 to the Scottish Government Energy Consents Unit (ECU) seeking consent for Lethans Wind Farm Extension. This application also applies for a direction under Section 57(2) of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 for planning permission for the development to be deemed granted.

The consultation period for the planning application is due to commence on 10 January 2022 and run until 18 February 2022. Any persons wishing to make formal representations should do so by contacting the ECU on their website, by email or by post, quoting the application reference ECU00002221. Full contact details are available www.energyconsents.scot.

We also continue to welcome comments and feedback on our proposals at any stage of the application, although please note these will not count as formal representations. Comments can be submitted via the Give your Feedback link. If you have any questions or would like to discuss the proposals with a member of the project team please do not hesitate to contact us.

A copy of the full Lethans Wind Farm Extension planning application can a be found here.

A copy of the full 2019 Lethans Wind Farm planning application and supporting information, which is referenced in the Lethans Extension application, can also be found here.

Listening to the local community

We have taken your feedback from our community consultation events and used it to refine our initial design, a planning application has now been submitted.

We have created a plan that optimises the efficiency of the site and designed a proposal that meets the needs for efficiently generating renewable energy and brings social, economic and environmental benefits to your local area and Scotland. We have also developed a variation to the consented Lethans project to make it more efficient.

‘Support registered in relation to the Lethans Extension planning application may be formally submitted to the Scottish Government Energy Consents Unit’

Explore our proposed high level plan

The scale of the local landscape lends itself well to the project. We have placed the reduced number of turbines with consideration of the horizon and terrain. We have worked hard to protect the viewpoints that have been highlighted as being important to the community. Click the elements to see the view from each view point and the detailed site plan.

View from Cairn Kinney

Lethans Extension

Lethans Extension

Glenmuir Water Road

A67 New Cumnock

Dalleagles

A76 west of Rigg Farm

Explore our proposed site plan

A great deal of care has been taken with our proposed site layout. We have worked hard to take the local ecology into account with both the turbine placement and the creation of site infrastructure.

Click the elements to see how we have taken into account each element.

Lethan’s Extension – Proposed site plan

Hydrology

The Lethans Extension site features a number of watercourses. The turbines, access tracks and supporting infrastructure have been carefully position to stand off the watercourses with an appropriate buffer. Watercourse crossings have been located sensitively to minimise disturbance to habitats.

Ecology & Ornithology

Surveys have been carried out over a number of years for both the original Lethans site and Extension.  Detailed assessment work will support the planning application including modelling of potential collision risk to birds. The site design and construction methods will seek to minimise ecological impacts as much as possible.

Peat

This area of Scotland has some areas of deep peat. Peat is a valuable carbon store, helping to keep carbon out of the atmosphere which is important for climate change.  We have carried out surveys to understand the extent and depth of peat across the site, and this information has informed the site design to minimise peat disturbance as much as possible.

Topography and Landscape

The Lethans Extension site is located in an undulating, upland landscape which does not fall within any nationally or locally designated landscape areas. The landscape is considered suitable to accommodate wind farms, and the turbines have been carefully position with consideration for views from important receptors and interaction with the consented Lethans Wind Farm.

Turbines

Turbine technology and efficiency is advancing rapidly and we expect each turbine installed at Lethans Extension to be able to generate up to 6MW.  This is enough to power thousands of homes.

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