Latest news with #DumfriesGallowayCouncil
BBC News
26-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
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 and Galloway Council's planning committee approved the 43-hectare (106 acre) project at Little Drum Solar 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 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 includes an inaccessible monument indicating the location of 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 as part of the solar farm's approval, subject to conditions, a path will be constructed to the monument for the first 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 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 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 part of the application, the solar farm will be operational and provide power for a 40-year lifespan once 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.
BBC News
17-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
Loch Ryan sandwich terns to get help from Norfolk wind farms
Plans have been drawn up to revive a seabird colony in southern Scotland to mitigate the impact of two wind farms hundreds of miles away. It would create a haven for sandwich terns on Loch Ryan at a spot where they have not nested for more than a project is linked to the Sheringham Shoal and Dudgeon offshore wind farm extensions which could affect bird numbers off the Norfolk and Galloway Council is being recommended to approve the plans with a number of conditions. A search of shorelines came up with the Dumfries and Galloway site as the best location to seek the return of sandwich terns.A special coastal habitat would be created including an inland pool with islands to be surrounded by a "predator-proof" viewing hides would also be set up to allow walkers to view the area without disturbing Equinor want the scheme in southern Scotland to compensate for the predicted impact on breeding sandwich terns of extensions to its two Norfolk schemes. The site was selected after a detailed search for suitable places to create or restore a habitat for the area was identified as having been a historic breeding site up until about 15 years appears the site was vacated by the colony primarily as a result of coastal have raised concerns about the low likelihood of the project being a success and problems linked to additional visitors to the have also voiced fears that other species in the area could be adversely a report by council planners has recommended the scheme should be given the all said the project had "acceptable environmental credentials" and could go ahead with a number of conditions attached.
BBC News
10-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Audit finds weaknesses in Dumfries and Galloway bus cash controls
An audit of cash handling on council bus services in south west Scotland has flagged up a string of found there was a "significant risk of loss or undetected error" in half of the eight objectives it looked at in Dumfries and local authority runs 18 bus routes across the region - one out of Stranraer, six out of Castle Douglas and 11 out of Dumfries.A report said five action points highlighted by the audit - including banking bus service income at least once a week - had now been implemented. The internal audit by Dumfries and Galloway Council aimed to confirm that cash income from the routes was being accounted for and banked in accordance with financial also sought assurances that cash was being held securely and banked it discovered weaknesses in controls over the income and found that cash from two depots - Abercromby in Castle Douglas and Cargen Towers in Dumfries - had not been banked for several the other concerns it highlighted were:No weekly check to ensure cash was being handed inNo fares being charged on one route in Stranraer as the driver did not have a licence to do soNo written records of cash being passed from one staff member to anotherIt recommended five different action points in order to tackle the issues included cash being held securely and under the responsibility of a single council report said all the measures highlighted had now been put in place.
