14-turbine wind farm at Troston Loch Wind Farm Site Approximately 7km West Of Moniaive
Summary of planning committee decision
Decided by Dumfries Planning Applications Committee on 16 Apr 2026.
What was proposed
The application sought to extend the planning permission for a 14-turbine wind farm and associated infrastructure, including battery storage, to align with the extended consent period.
“PUBLIC PUBLIC 1.3 Consent under Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 and deemed planning permission under section 57(2) of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 was given by Scottish Ministers on 18 December 2020 for a development of 14 wind turbines and associated infrastructure. The infrastructure includes battery storage, and the turbines are to have a ground to blade tip height not exceeding 149.9 metres.”
“One of the requirements of the above consent was that the commencement of the development should occur by the 18 December 2026. However, as a result of delays to transmission reinforcement works, in 2025, the developer applied for, and was granted, a 24 month extension of the implementation period by Scottish Ministers.”
Officer report
The site
The site is in open countryside between Carsphairn and Moniaive, on undulating land mainly covered by commercial forestry plantation, with no nearby designated sites.
“The site is in the open countryside midway between Carsphairn to the west and Moniaive to the east in land to the south of the B729. The topography is undulating and the site predominantly comprising of commercial forestry plantation.”
Officer report
Earlier permission
Scottish Ministers approved the wind farm in 2020, and later extended the Section 36 commencement period to 18 December 2028.
“Relevant Planning History 1.5 ECU00001785 (DGC ref no 19/0344/S36) - Consent under Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 and deemed planning permission under Section 57(2) of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 for the construction and operation of Troston Loch Wind Farm was approved by the Scottish Ministers on 18 December 2020.”
Officer report
Officers’ recommendation
Officers recommended approval because the extended period was considered reasonable for a project dependent on transmission and grid connections, with existing conditions retained and the commencement condition varied.
“If this application were to be approved, it would effectively allow a commencement period of 8 years from the original determination date of ECU00001785, which in the circumstances, is not considered to be an excessively long period bearing in mind the nature of the proposal and the extent of information submitted in support of the original proposal.”
“PUBLIC PUBLIC [NB - Whilst it is noted that NATS has objected to this application, it needs to be recognised that consent / deemed planning permission for the development was approved previously and remains extant. This was subject to Condition 5, which is a suspensive condition regarding aviation radar, which remains in the recommended conditions below.”
Officer report
Consultation responses
NATS objected because of an anticipated technical impact on air traffic control, while the other listed consultees had no objections and no representations were received.
“NATS Safeguarding – Objection. The proposed development has been examined by technical and operational safeguarding teams. A technical impact (on the Prestwick Centre Air Traffic Control) is anticipated, this has been deemed to be unacceptable.”
“Glasgow Prestwick Airport – No objections.”
Officer report
The committee’s decision
The committee approved application 26/0028/S42 subject to the conditions attached to the permission.
“PROCEDURE - The Committee was advised that the description of the application should read “TROSTON LOCH WIND FARM SITE, APPROXIMATELY 7KM WEST OF MONIAIVE”.”
“APPROVED application 26/0028/S42 subject to conditions as detailed in the report.”
Minutes
Sources
- Dumfries Planning Applications Committee minutes, 16 April 2026
- Agenda and papers (council website)
Source: Plota analysis of Dumfries's committee minutes and officer report. Quotations are the council's own words; headings and summaries are Plota's.
Committee decisions and nationwide planning applications, in one API
The Plota API returns planning applications from every council we cover, each with its decision, whether a committee or officers decided it, and the committee date. Build it into your own tools.
See the API →At the meeting
- Council
- Dumfries
- Date
- Thursday 16 April 2026
- Recommendation
- Officers recommended approval
- Committee decided
- Approved
- Minutes
- The council's minutes
- Meeting
- Agenda and papers (council website)
- Application
- View application →
- All decisions
- Dumfries committee decisions →
This committee's year
26 decisions in the 12 months to this meeting, 2 against officer advice.
Source: Plota analysis of the committee's minutes.