The Dumfries and Galloway Council Planning Applications Committee was scheduled to discuss three planning applications and one consultation about a potential wind farm development. The committee also had the option to discuss other urgent business if required.

Windy Standard I Wind Farm, Carsphairn

The meeting report pack contained a consultation from the Scottish Ministers on an application for the erection of eight wind turbines at Windy Standard I Wind Farm near Carsphairn. The turbines would have a maximum height of 200m. The site would also include a temporary on-site concrete batching plant, crane pads, 7.3km of new access tracks and the upgrading of 14km of existing access tracks. The application is for a repowering of the existing Windy Standard I wind farm which currently has 40 much smaller wind turbines.

The report pack contained a recommendation that the council should raise no objection to the proposed development. This conclusion was based on the fact that there would be a significant increase in the amount of renewable electricity generated by the site, that there are no residential properties within 2km of the site, and that the site already has an established presence of a wind farm. The report pack also notes that there is a significant amount of wind farm development in the surrounding area. This includes the existing Windy Standard I wind farm, as well as other operational, under construction and consented wind farms. The report pack concludes that the impact of the proposed development on landscape character and visual amenity would be localised and the subject of mitigation.

Land North of Annan Road, Dumfries

The report pack included an application from McDonald's Restaurants Limited for the erection of a new 24 hour drive-through restaurant on land north of Annan Road, Dumfries. The development would include indoor and outdoor seating for approximately 120 customers. It would have parking for 45 cars, including three accessible bays, two electric vehicle charging points, two grill bays and three courier parking bays. There would also be cycle parking for eight bikes.

Eight objections to the application were received and these focussed on the impact on the environment, the potential for the development to lead to an increase in traffic and litter, and the proximity of the development to residential properties. 47 emails of support were also received, primarily using a pro-forma email, focusing on the potential economic benefits of the development.

The report pack included a recommendation that the application should be refused. The main reasons given for the recommendation are that the applicant had not demonstrated that the development could not be located on a sequentially more appropriate site. In particular, an alternative site at The Peel Centre, Dumfries has recently had planning permission granted for the erection of a drive through restaurant. This site is considered to be more appropriate as it is closer to the town centre and residential areas. The report pack also states that the application site is not well served by public transport, cycling infrastructure, or walking routes and that the development would therefore be over-reliant on private transport. Finally, the report pack highlights concerns about the impact of the development on the visual amenity of the area. The site is currently undeveloped land with a number of trees on it. The development would involve the removal of most of the trees and their replacement with a limited amount of landscaping. This would have a detrimental impact on the visual amenity of this key entry point to Dumfries from the east on the A75.

Land Adjoining B7076, Junction 19 A74(M), Ecclefechan

The report pack contained an application from Pickstock Telford Limited for the erection of a beef processing plant, with the potential to process up to 250 cattle per day. The development would create around 60 jobs. The site is identified in the Local Development Plan as suitable for business and industry uses and is located on the north-western periphery of Ecclefechan.

The proposed development would involve the construction of a 4,451 sq.m building, an effluent treatment plant, an anaerobic digester plant, a combined heat and power plant, a security building and a new access road. It would also require the removal of a number of trees. The application also includes outline permission for the change of use of the rest of the site from agricultural land to business and industry use.

The report pack included a recommendation that the application should be approved subject to conditions. The main reason given for the recommendation is that the proposed development complies with the Local Development Plan. The report pack also notes that the development has been designed to minimise the impact on the surrounding area and a number of mitigation measures have been included in the application, such as landscaping and a noise management plan.

Land at Milton Farm, Beattock

The report pack included an application for the formation of a 49.9MW battery storage system facility at Milton Farm, Beattock. The facility would include 44 containerised battery storage units and 11 transformer units. The meeting report pack contains the minutes from the previous meeting where the committee had been asked to decide whether to approve this application.

The minutes note that the committee had approved the application at their previous meeting, subject to conditions including the completion of a Section 75 legal agreement, which is an agreement between the council and a developer which places obligations on the developer. They also added an extra condition requiring details of the proposed external lighting to be submitted to, and approved by, the council.