Controversial Scottish government quango the Energy Consents Unit (ECU) has taken further steps to prevent local communities from raising concerns about wind farms, by cutting the length of submissions that can be made via its new portal.

Local communities in the Scottish Borders have reacted furiously after it emerged that it will no longer be possible for members of the public to submit a response to a windfarm application to the Energy Consents Unit (ECU) by email.

200 people, including representatives of more than 30 community councils, overwhelmingly backed a unified statement calling for a pause on all new onshore renewable energy projects in the south of Scotland.

A public inquiry has opened into yet another large-scale renewable development proposed for the Scottish Borders – this time a proposed energy park near Duns.

Communities across the Borders and Highlands are increasingly pushing back against what they see as an imposed, wind-only energy policy driven by Scottish and UK governments, as reported recently in The Scotsman.

A new plan for a major wind farm and battery system in highly sensitive Scottish Borders countryside has deepened community fears about the unprecedented industrialisation of their landscape.

Scotland’s rush toward wind power has reached a critical crossroads. Instead of delivering cheaper energy and a cleaner grid, evidence shows that much of the country’s wind output cannot be used, exported or stored – and must instead be switched off at public expense.

Plans for the proposed Mid Hill wind farm in the Scottish Borders have suffered a major setback after the Ministry of Defence (MoD) lodged a formal objection warning that the project poses an “unmanageable” risk to the UK’s nuclear test monitoring capabilities and to military air operations.

The Scottish Government has been accused of snubbing a convention of community councils from across rural Scotland which is expected to call for a halt to all onshore renewable energy projects when it meets this Saturday (January 17).

Local communities such as Heriot are hosts to multiple wind farms and, yet have been overwhelmed by a constant stream of additional applications since 2010, according to a recent letter in The Scotsman by John Williams (Chairman of Heriot Community Council).

Scottish Ministers are being urged to intervene and order a public local inquiry into a controversial Borders wind farm amid claims that failure to do so would be a “slap in the face for local democracy”

Community councils across the Scottish Borders are being urged to come together in January to fight back against a relentless surge of large-scale renewable energy developments due to be approved by the Scottish Government.