Landscape and acoustic specialists are to be appointed in a bid to deal with the rising tide of windfarm applications in Angus.
With a near five-fold increase in planning bids over just a few years, Angus Council has secured £75,000 of government funding which officials say should help speed up the determination process.
Recent months have seen significant, but mixed outcome developments in the expansion of large scale renewable energy schemes throughout the county.
The district’s first approved large scale windfarm is now clearly visible on the Strathmore skyline as it takes shape on Ark Hill, south of Glamis.
However, two further windfarm proposals by Welsh firm West Coast Energy have been blocked the latest being the company’s Dodd Hill proposal near Tealing which was vetoed by Angus development standards committee councillors only last week.
At the same time, members were informed how the five-figure grant boost will be used.
Infrastructure services director Eric Lowson’s report said: “The number and complexity of planning applications for wind turbine development received by the council has increased significantly in recent years.
“In 2008 only 13 planning applications for wind turbine developments were submitted to the council, but in 2011 over 60 applications were submitted and numbers remain high.”