April 6, 2014
Scotland

SBC ‘no’ to Girthgate turbines

The Berwickshire News | 05 April 2014 | www.berwickshirenews.co.uk

Scottish Borders Council has refused to give its support to the granting of planning consent for 24 wind turbines, each 125m high, to be erected at Girthgate, in the west Lammermuirs.

Planning consent for the wind farm is the responsibility of the Scottish Government but Scottish Borders Council are one of a number of consultees whose views are being sought about the application by Muirhall Energy Ltd.

When planning committee councillors debated the application they were recommended by officials to object to application at Girthgate because of its impact on landscape character and its adverse visual and amenity impacts.

Planning official, John Hiscox, told councillors: “Scottish Borders Council remains positive towards the principle of wind energy development. The balance between the benefits of energy production and the disbenefits of environmental impact must be weighed carefully against one another.

“The selected site and the development proposed for it give rise to several problems which are very difficult to mitigate – it would be highly visible; the cumulative effect and would be out of keeping with the landscape. A scheme with this many overriding planning issues cannot be supported, despite the potential level of energy it would provide.”


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2014/04/06/sbc-no-to-girthgate-turbines/