October 8, 2015
Scotland

Second legal challenge to Borders wind turbines fails

Second wind farm legal challenge fails | BBC News | 8 October 2015 | www.bbc.co.uk

A second legal challenge to plans for two wind turbines at a Borders beauty spot has been rejected.

The local review body of Scottish Borders Council granted permission for the project near Cockburnspath in March 2013.

In January the following year the decision was unsuccessfully challenged at the Court of Session in Edinburgh.

Now three judges have refused the “reclaiming motion” of objector Sally Carroll.

They said the local review body’s decision was lawful and complied with “relevant statutory requirements”.

The legal challenge concerned Wind Direct’s plans for two 100m (328ft) tall wind turbines on “highly sensitive” coastal farmland.
New plan

The planned location is near the Berwickshire Coast and Lammermuir Hills Special Landscape Areas and the Southern Upland Way.

Meanwhile, plans have been drawn up to build 13 wind turbines on land between Lockerbie and Langholm.

Muirhall Energy wants to construct the wind farm within a commercial forestry plantation at Loganhead.

Plans submitted to Dumfries and Galloway Council reveal that the turbines would be 130m (427ft) tall.

The firm, which is based in South Lanarkshire, said the development could generate enough energy to power an average of about 24,000 homes a year.