Six-turbine wind farm at Rowancraig Wind Farm, Sanquhar
Summary of planning committee decision
Deferred by Dumfries Planning Applications Committee on 25 Feb 2026.
What was proposed
The application proposed six 180-metre wind turbines with access tracks, foundations, construction works, cabling, substations and related infrastructure.
“The application site is located to the south of Kirkconnel and the west of Sanquhar, to the west of the River Nith and just to the north of Euchan Glen. The proposed development comprises a total of 6 wind turbines, each measuring 180m from base to tip, located in a cluster to the north of the Euchan Water, in close proximity to the location of the proposed wind turbines at Herds Hill (23/2572/FUL – see Paragraph 1.8 of this Report).”
“PUBLIC PUBLIC an electrical substation at this site, the formation of parking and a small storage compound. It is proposed that the development would connect to the grid via a new 132kV collector substation to be located within the application site which would in turn connect to the existing Glenglass substation, located approximately 0.6km to the south west of the application site, via underground cabling.”
Officer report
The officer recommendation
Officers recommended approval subject to completion of a legal agreement within six months and conditions, despite identified landscape and visual concerns.
“Recommendation: Approve subject to (A) the successful completion of the appropriate legal agreement within 6 months of the date of the decision or such other reasonable extended timescale as agreed by the appointed officer and (B) conditions…”
Officer report
What consultees said
Most consultees raised no objection or supported conditions, while NATS objected and RSPB Scotland raised significant concerns about cumulative effects on Black Grouse.
“(a) After carefully considering the EIAR and associated application documents, RSPB Scotland has significant concerns regarding the impact of this proposal relating to cumulative pressures on Black Grouse through displacement and disturbance, which RSPB Scotland consider that this project will contribute to.”
“(c) Overall, RSPB Scotland ae extremely concerned that the pressure of cumulative impacts to Black Grouse in this area (North Dumfriesshire) is reaching a critical level, which could cause fragmentation of populations, and worst case a population decline, due to continued loss of open ground in the area. This could potentially lead to isolation of populations in the far west from those in the east of Southern Scotland.”
Officer report
Why consideration was deferred
The committee deferred the application after being made aware of a Court of Session ruling that had come to its attention after the papers were published.
“DEFERRED consideration of application of 24/0025/FUL due to the Council being made aware of a ruling in the court of session after the publication of the papers.”
Minutes
Sources
- Dumfries Planning Applications Committee minutes, 25 February 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
- Wednesday 25 February 2026
- Recommendation
- Officers recommended approval
- Committee decided
- Deferred
- Minutes
- The council's minutes
- Meeting
- Agenda and papers (council website)
- Application
- The application (council website)
- All decisions
- Dumfries committee decisions →
This committee's year
23 decisions in the 12 months to this meeting, 2 against officer advice.
Source: Plota analysis of the committee's minutes.