Borders communities welcome rejection of Culachy Glen windfarm

With objections from the John Muir Trust, the RSPB and Mountaineering Scotland, as well as two community councils, ministers admitted that the plan for eight 200m turbines and a battery storage system at Culachy would have 'significant detrimental impacts on landscape and visual amenity, as well as adverse impacts on a special quality of the Loch Ness and Duntelchaig Special Landscape Areas.'

Ministers accepted there would be net economic and renewable energy benefits but if the development went ahead 'it would result in a failure to preserve natural beauty, which is one of the factors that Scottish Ministers must take account of when making a determination.'

Mike Wilcox from Walkerburn Community Council in the Tweed Valley said: "Communities up and down rural Scotland have been making these arguments repeatedly and it is heartening that on this occasion  at least the Scottish Government has accepted the legitimate concerns of local people and environmental groups.

"The Scawd Law plan for giant turbines near Walkerburn, from the same company that wanted to develop Culachy, threatens Golden Eagles and would have a hugely detrimental impact on the landscape. It too should be rejected."

Community groups report that current planning rules are inadequate to protect not just the fragile Golden Eagle population of the Scottish Borders but also Osprey, Honey Buzzard, Goshawk, Red Kite, Short-eared Owl, Merlin, Peregrine, Hen Harrier, Curlew, Golden Plover, Snipe and Lapwing, all reliant on the high-quality habitats of the Borders.

In its objection to the Scawd Law development, Heriot Community Council contested many of the points made by developer Fred Olsen Renewables, adding “… this proposal would have the worst possible impact on local areas …. towering over the magnificent southwestern view from all these areas, which currently is of empty rolling moorland”.

Rory Steel, Chair of Lauderdale Preservation Group, added: "There have been so many examples of similar arguments about conservation of nature and landscape being rejected by the Scottish government, but maybe the message is beginning to sink in that, since Scotland is already well over capacity for wind energy production, it is not just pointless but counter-productive to continue to sacrifice our natural heritage.

"Historic Environment Scotland (HES) did not object to Culachy, but it is objecting to the Glenburnie plan in Lauderdale, which is much bigger and would destroy vitally important archaeological sites, so surely the minister must follow this precedent and throw it out.”

Community councils and conservation groups from the Scottish Borders, the Highlands and Aberdeenshire have called for a temporary moratorium on major energy developments until there is a democratically agreed Scottish energy plan in place.