A WINDFARM in the hills above Greenock will run for 50 years instead of its originally planned 25-year lifespan.

Inverclyde Planning Board has approved an application to extend the term for the eight-turbine development near Corlic Hill.

The £35m renewable energy development started generating electricity almost four years ago.

Its operators recently asked the council to carry on running it beyond the originally agreed timeframe.

They said: “Wind turbine technology continues to evolve and the understanding of site conditions and turbine condition and performance monitoring has grown since the planning permission for the development was obtained in 2016.

“It is now considered that it is reasonable to expect that the development will have a viable operational lifespan of up to 50 years."