Hilary Mactaggart
A retired Anglican priest says he is appalled by the Church of England’s
support for a proposed wind farm near Hawick as he believes it would be a
blot on the landscape of the Borders.
Andrew Warburton, formerly a priest in Oxfordshire, said he is ashamed of
his church for refusing to consult with residents likely to be affected by
the Highlee Hill wind farm being lined up near his current Newcastleton home.
“I am appalled that the Church Commissioners of England have had the gall
to support this development in Scotland,” writes Warburton, in a letter to
Scottish Borders Council.
“In England, they would have been required to engage with local people, but
here they are not bothered to meet with those most directly affected.
“This is not the way that a supposedly Christian organisation is supposed
to behave.”
Developer Renewable Energy Systems plans to build 13 turbines, some as high
as 176m, on land owned by the church near Hawick.
Council planners have received more than 100 objections from residents
fearful that the planned wind farm will blight the countryside as well as
damaging tourism.
The area is a haven for peregrine falcons, kites, merlins and hen harriers,
and objectors also fear the turbines would have a detrimental effect on
wildlife.
The green energy plant is one of several wind farms proposed within a 20
square-mile radius in the Borders.
In his letter of objection, Mr Warburton claims the Church Commissioners
were approached by representatives of Southdean Community Council but
refused to engage with it, saying that the usual planning procedures were
enough.
“Where is the pastoral care for the people of Southdean, and indeed the
whole area? I am ashamed of my church,” he continues.
Describing the area as “one of the most scenic entries to Scotland via the
A68 from Carter Bar,” Mr Warburton says the tall turbines would dominate
the landscape.
He says the the vista looks out over the Cheviots and beyond, towards
Lindisfarne, and “ is one of the most iconic views in the Scottish Borders,
indeed in the whole of the UK, and would be “destroyed”.
With further wind farms in the pipeline at Wauchope, Newcastleton Forest,
and Birnieknowe, Mr Warburton says there could potentially be a “ring of
steel” or an “iron curtain” in the Borders.
“From 1970 through to the end of the Cold War, I crossed the Iron Curtain
every year to visit my family in Czechoslovakia,” he added.
“The Iron Curtain was a reality, yet it was hidden.
“The possible iron curtain proposed here for an area of outstanding natural
beauty would not be hidden but would forever damage our countryside. Is
this what we want for the Borders?”
The commissioners say the Highlee Hill project could provide electricity
for up to 30,000 homes and generate £3.6m of investment in the region’s
economy.
“The commissioners continue to monitor and take into account ongoing
community consultations and are in regular dialogue with the developer on
this project,” said a spokesman.
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