A renewable energy company is challenging a recent decision by Scottish
Borders Council to reject plans for an eight-turbine wind farm near
Grantshouse.
London-based LE20 sought full consent last year to erect 100-metre-high
turbines on 135 hectares of sloping grazing land at Howpark Farm.
The site, a mile from Grantshouse, is close to two current wind farms –
14-turbine Penmanshiel to the north west and 22-turbine Drone Hill to the
north east.
The cumulative impact of the Howpark proposal was cited by council planning
officer Stuart Herkes as the biggest concern over the application when he
recommended refusal in April this year.
“The identified economic benefits are not sufficient to outweigh the
significant visual and landscape objections to the development,” reported
Mr Herkes.
The council’s planning committee agreed and rejected an application which
had sparked 25 neighbour objections.
On Monday, the committee was notified that the firm has lodged an appeal
with the Scottish Government’s department of environment and planning appeals.
In its appeal submission, LE20 claims the landscape at Howpark has the
capacity to accommodate the scale of turbines proposed.
“On the whole, the material considerations in this appeal weigh heavily in
favour of approving the proposed wind farm,” says LE20.
“Whilst the proposed wind farm has generated a moderate degree of objection
from third parties and community councils, these objections are
insufficient to justify refusal.”
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2 Comments
Brian · August 12, 2017 at 12:44 pm
Well we all know how corrupt the reporters at the DPEA are. He who pays the piper calls the tune and in their case it is their SNP ministerial paymasters. The DPEA is a totally discredited group of puppets when it comes to windfarms. They have no accountability to the residents and taxpayers of an area devastated by developments that they consent. Local authorities are scared to reject windfarm applications simply because they will be over-ruled by DPEA anyway with the additional costs involved.
Ian Miller · August 13, 2017 at 9:05 am
“Whilst the proposed wind farm has generated a moderate degree of objection
from third parties and community councils, these objections are
insufficient to justify refusal.”
This is the typical kind of statement we regularly hear, from greedy organisations which have no concern for the environment but instead are dismissive of the Democratic wishes expressed by both local concerns and community councils, and simply choose to ignore, and ride roughshod over both of them.