Green light for new wind farm in South Lanarkshire
A new wind farm which could produce enough electricity to power almost 50,000 homes has been given the green light by the Scottish government.
Energy minister Fergus Ewing has approved planning permission for 26 turbines to be built three miles south of Strathaven in South Lanarkshire.
The Kype Muir wind farm will have a maximum capacity of 104 megawatts.
It could also generate up to £4m for the local community over the lifetime of the development.
The construction of the wind farm will be undertaken by Banks Renewables, and could create an estimated 50 jobs.
Mr Ewing said: "Once it is up and running, the wind farm will save thousands of tonnes of carbon dioxide each year and will be able to produce enough electricity to power the equivalent of 49,000 homes.
"Wind farms like Kype Muir provide considerable benefits to their local community and play an important part in helping Scotland reach its target of the equivalent of 100% of electricity demand generated from renewables.
Wind farm guidance
The announcement came as environment body Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) published fresh guidance on the location and design of wind farms.
The revised advice sets out key principles for the siting of wind farms and how to use design to minimise the impact they have on their surroundings.
Brendan Turvey, policy manager for renewables at SNH, said: "We want to see wind farms which are well designed in the right locations. This guidance sets out the key principles to achieve this.
"Experience has shown that good design can make a significant difference to the overall landscape and visual impact.
"As more wind farms are developed in Scotland it is important that new sites are well designed to minimise cumulative effects on our landscapes."