Solar farm approved beside Bronze Age rock art near Kirkcudbright
Planning permission has been granted for construction of a large solar farm located near "nationally significant" Bronze Age rock art.Dumfries and Galloway Council's planning committee approved the 43-hectare (106 acre) project at Little Drum Solar Farm.The proposed development will be constructed just over one mile (1.8km) south east of Kirkcudbright - but will not be visible from the town due to rolling hills.The nearest solar panel will be located 250m (820 ft) from the rock art, according to a report by planning officers.
There are multiple "non-designated archaeological areas" and features present on or near the site.This includes an inaccessible monument indicating the location of the rocks.The solar array will provide approximtely 36MW of electricity and include a 12MW battery storage facility.
A planning report by council officers said the monument was not currently publicised or the subject of any formal access arrangements.However, as part of the solar farm's approval, subject to conditions, a path will be constructed to the monument for the first time.The developer is required to complete the path within three months of the farm becoming operational.
'National significance'
The report by planning officers recognised the monument as "one of the finest of its type in Scotland and very important in terms of the period in history it represents".It said the area was "the second densest concentration of (bronze age) rock art in Scotland (after Kilmartin Glen in Argyll) and therefore of national significance".Despite this Historic Environment Scotland gave no objection to the project - after an initial holding objection.The preservation body said given the 250m distance from the monument and the solar panel height and position, the project did not raise "historic environment issues of national significance."However, the construction of the farm will not be able to start until an investigation has taken place and been signed off by the council.Although there was no reason to object on "heritage grounds" the council archaeologist said ground examinations should take place to explore potentially undiscovered archaeological features of the area.
Construction of the solar farm and battery plant is expected to last nine months; the developer is required to begin construction within three years.As part of the application, the solar farm will be operational and provide power for a 40-year lifespan once complete.The developers also plan to include "landscaping and biodiversity enhancement measures" around the solar farm - it will clear the area of invasive species in favour of native trees, grassland, flower meadow and hedgerows.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
Five savvy ways to save money on your kids' school uniform for next term
GET school uniform for next term sorted early and give yourself a gold star. New ranges are now in stores, with some great deals around. 7 Here's how to kit out the kids for less . . . ONLINE OUTFITTERS: For the first time, Tesco school uniform can be bought online as well as in store. There is currently 25 per cent off, but that ends today. If you need more time, there will be a similar reduction from July 22 to 27, taking a pack of two T-shirts to £3. MAKE A BUNDLE: Both Aldi and Lidl are offering a £5 uniform bundle. Aldi's range hits the shelves today. For kids aged four to 13, it includes two polo shirts, a sweatshirt or cardigan and a choice of trousers, skirt or cargo shorts. Lidl's range arrives in stores on July 3, with the £5 deal including two polo shirts and a sweatshirt, plus a pair of trousers, shorts or a skirt. Bundles are available while stocks last, so don't delay. TOP FOR TEENS: Asda's school uniform range has 20 per cent off online and in store, but hurry — the offer ends today. The range for teens includes longer length boys' trousers, currently down from £8 to £6.40, and kick flare trousers for girls, down from £12 to £9.60. DRESS FOR LESS: For cheaper uniform items, check out school nearly-new sales, as well as Facebook Marketplace and local charity shops. Get a children's foot measure from Next, £6.25, to use at home so you can snap up bargains in online shoe sales. If you live in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, and your child receives free school meals, you may be entitled to some financial help with uniform costs. See WEAR IT WELL: Once you're all kitted out, label everything to make it less likely items will go missing. Parents 'cutting back on food' to afford cost of school uniforms To get double the wear out of school uniform, get your kids to change out of it as soon as they get home. All prices on page correct at time of going to press. Deals and offers subject to availability. Deal of the day HEAD into a Matalan store for a flash sale on cabin suitcases, with some bags down to £20 while stocks last, including this IT Luggage Trulite case, was £55, now £20. SAVE: £35 Cheap treat SWIPE your Morrisons More card to get crisp Italian wine Vitis Nostra Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie for £5 down from £7.50. What's new? ENJOY a little squirt of the new Heinz Tomato Ketchup Zero, with more tomatoes and no added sugar and salt. It's down from £3 to £2.50 with a Nectar card at Sainsbury's. Top swap SERVE guests from the Kilner 8l drinks dispenser, £31 at or they can fill their glasses from The Vintage Company 7.6l dispenser from priced £9.99. Shop & save 7 GET the glow with Dove Gradual Tanning Mousse, 150ml, down from £11.49 to £5.74 at Superdrug (or £2.86 for members). PLAY NOW TO WIN £200 7 JOIN thousands of readers taking part in The Sun Raffle. Every month we're giving away £100 to 250 lucky readers - whether you're saving up or just in need of some extra cash, The Sun could have you covered. Every Sun Savers code entered equals one Raffle ticket. The more codes you enter, the more tickets you'll earn and the more chance you will have of winning!
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Proof John Swinney DID plan to reward himself with the same bumper £20,000 pay rise he gave his ministers
John Swinney DID want to reward himself with a £20,000 pay rise – and even requested one from the Scottish Parliament, MailOnline can reveal. The First Minister quietly lifted a long-standing salary freeze for SNP ministers in April, which allowed him to give them all a bumper salary bonus. He was also set to pocket a huge salary hike until he performed a dramatic U-turn just hours after MailOnline asked the SNP leader about the pay bonanza. Now the Scottish Parliament has confirmed that Mr Swinney put in a formal request for a personal £20,000 pay rise with the parliament's pay and pensions team. It means Mr Swinney was looking to reward himself with a huge salary of £155,000 until MailOnline forced him into an embarrassing climbdown. Last night former Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross demanded that the First Minister 'come clean with Scots'. He said: 'This confirms once and for all that the First Minister was more than happy to take a massive pay rise before MailOnline put him on the spot. 'It sums up how disconnected 'Honest John' and the SNP are from the public that it took a reporter's questions to force the First Minister to do the right thing and reject his staggering pay rise. 'However, it remains outrageous that his team of ministers have been rewarded for failure at a time when only this week it was revealed cancer waiting times are the worst on record, sex crimes are rising and housebuilding levels have collapsed.' Mr Ross asked the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether all ministers, including the First Minister, had received a new pay mandate, to which it responded: 'In April 2025, the First Minister, ministers and law officers received ministerial waiver mandate letters.' It means Mr Swinney requested the pay change – or 'mandate' – for himself and all ministers, which was confirmed in those letters. By doing so, he was effectively scrapping a rule introduced by former First Minister Alex Salmond in place since 2009, which stipulated that ministers must deduct the difference between their 'net' salary entitlement – made up of MSP pay and their ministerial pay – and their 2009 entitlement, with the surplus donated to the public purse. Mr Swinney decreed that while the ministerial element of their salaries will stay frozen, the MSP allowance will now be 'equalised' with other serving MSPs. While a junior minister was projected to earn £81,449 this year, that figure has now soared to £100,575. Cabinet secretaries were meant to earn £96,999, but that has jumped to £116,125. The First Minister's own salary was set to rise to £154,731. When MailOnline approached the Scottish Government for comment ahead of revealing the news in late April, Mr Swinney's spin doctor called our reporter just hours before publication and said the First Minister would not be taking the pay bump personally. Our reporter asked when that decision was taken, to which the adviser said he thought Mr Swinney had been thinking about not taking the rise for a 'few weeks'. These latest revelations show Mr Swinney had already embarked on the official process to secure one before changing his mind. When pushed on an exact date, the spin doctor called back to say Mr Swinney had actually made a decision not to take it that morning after MailOnline approached the government for comment. He claimed we had 'crystallised' the First Minister's decision to U-turn on the pay bump. A Scottish Government spokeswoman said last night: 'As has been made clear, the First Minister made the decision to forgo the equalisation of the MSP element of his salary on April 12, in order to avoid any perception that he benefits from his own decisions.'
BBC News
3 hours ago
- BBC News
Fears over 90 jobs at Dunfermline supplier to bus maker Alexander Dennis
Nearly 100 workers at a Fife firm that supplies parts to bus manufacturer Alexander Dennis have been told they are at risk of being made Greenfold Systems told 90 members of staff on Friday that their jobs could go as a knock-on effect of Alexander Dennis planning to move its operations to Systems constructs the sides, interdecks and roofs of buses for the Alexander Dennis factories in Falkirk and Larbert. Business and Employment Secretary Richard Lochhead said he was "very disappointed" to learn about the job threat and offered Scottish government assistance to the firm and its workers. Earlier this month, Alexander Dennis announced it was planning to move its full operation to a site in Scarborough, North plan would see its sites in Falkirk and Larbert close with the loss of 400 wider economic impact of any closure would be felt among the suppliers to the plants, such as Greenfold Systems. News of the redundancy threat was first reported by The managing director Craig Waterson told the newspaper that Alexander Dennis was a "sizeable customer" and added it was a "difficult situation" for the added: "What happens with Alexander Dennis remains to be seen. We would, of course, like a clearer answer but we're not going to get one any time soon. "A communication has been issued to staff, essentially telling them that their jobs are at risk as a result of the Alexander Dennis situation." The managing director of Alexander Dennis has said that orders for hundreds of new vehicles may not be enough to keep its Scottish sites to MSPs, Paul Davies said the company would need to win orders for at least 70 new buses this year and 300 next year to keep its Falkirk and Larbert operations he said this alone may not be sufficient and he could not commit to keeping the sites open. 'Difficult time for the employees' Business and Employment Secretary Richard Lochhead said: "I am very disappointed to learn that Greenfold Systems Ltd has entered into consultation with a view to making redundancies at its Dunfermline site."This will be a difficult time for the employees at risk of losing their jobs, their families and for the local area. Scottish Enterprise will engage with the company to better understand the reasons for this decision and whether it can offer any assistance."The people affected by this announcement are our immediate priority and the Scottish government will do everything in its power to help those affected through our initiative for responding to potential redundancy situations, Partnership Action for Continuing Employment."Greenfold Systems has been approached for comment.
