Dumfries and Galloway — A major planning application for the Lairdmannoch Energy Park (ECU00004900) has triggered serious concern across communities near Laurieston, Glengap, Ringford, and Gatehouse of Fleet. The proposal includes nine wind turbines, each up to 180 metres tall, a large-scale Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), and an expansive solar array, all to be constructed across carbon-rich peatland, watercourses, and ecologically sensitive upland terrain.
Local residents, environmental groups, and tourism advocates argue that the project would cause irreversible environmental damage, compromise public safety, and degrade the area’s natural heritage and night skies. The proposal is considered non-compliant with several national and regional planning policies, including National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) and the Dumfries and Galloway Local Development Plan 2 (LDP2).
Glengap Residents Lead Grassroots Resistance
The Glengap Community Group has taken a leading role in resisting the development, working non-stop to organise local meetings, scrutinise environmental reports, and help residents lodge formal objections. Their efforts have helped uncover critical omissions in the Environmental Impact Assessment and highlight the serious risks posed to the local area.
“We support renewable energy done the right way,” said a local Glengap resident. “But this development is in the wrong place, poses real safety risks, and ignores the communities it impacts most. We deserve better.”
The group encourages everyone — from locals to regular visitors — to use the free objection tool hosted by ObjectNow at:
https://lairdmannoch.object.now.
What’s Being Proposed?
- 9 wind turbines (180m tip height)
- Large-scale BESS with no detailed firewater containment plan
- A solar installation across peatland and upland habitat
- Construction of substations, access tracks, and electrical infrastructure
The site sits near sensitive watercourses, deep peat deposits, and within the buffer zone of the Galloway Forest Dark Sky Park, raising concerns about pollution, light intrusion, and irreversible ecological harm.
Why Object?
🟫 Peatland Destruction and Carbon Loss
The development will excavate and drain deep peat — a key natural carbon sink. This violates NPF4 Policy 5(a), which only allows peatland disturbance under exceptional, nationally justified circumstances.
🔥 Public Safety and Fire Risk
The proposed BESS poses risks of thermal runaway and toxic gas release. Dumfries and Galloway lacks the resources to handle such emergencies, breaching Policy 11(d) and COMAH safety thresholds.
🦉 Wildlife and Habitat Loss
Protected species like curlew, hen harrier, and short-eared owl are known to inhabit the site. The ornithology studies are incomplete, and cumulative impacts are not assessed — conflicting with Policy 3.
🌌 Dark Sky Degradation
Lighting from turbines, BESS compounds, and substations will intrude on one of Europe’s most celebrated stargazing areas. The absence of a lighting assessment violates Policy 14 and threatens local astro-tourism.
💧 Risk to Public Water Supplies
No detailed hydrological modelling was undertaken after the access route was changed, despite this affecting a drinking water catchment. This contradicts Policy 22 and raises concerns under the Water Framework Directive.
🧍 Community Harm Without Guaranteed Benefit
There are no binding commitments to local ownership or community benefit. Residents closest to the site may receive nothing, while suffering loss of amenity and long-term industrial disruption — a breach of LDP2 Policy OP1.
Who Can Object?
Everyone — not just residents. If you live in, work in, own land in, holiday in, or care about this region, you are entitled to object. That includes tourists, photographers, conservationists, and second-home owners.
📢 Submit your objection now:
https://lairdmannoch.object.now
📌 ECU Reference: ECU00004900
It only takes a few minutes. The tool lets you choose which issues matter most to you and creates a full, legally appropriate objection letter.
Final Word
The Lairdmannoch Energy Park is not a sensitive or sustainable renewable project. It is a high-impact industrial scheme placed in a fragile upland environment, without sufficient safeguards, consent, or planning justification. The residents of Glengap, Laurieston, Gatehouse of Fleet, and surrounding areas have made their concerns clear — and now they’re asking for wider public support.
If we want a just transition to net zero, it must include proper community engagement, legal compliance, and respect for the landscape. Lairdmannoch fails on all three counts.
✍️ Add your name to the growing list of voices saying no to this development:
🔗 https://lairdmannoch.object.now
