19 Mar 2026
This letter from a resident of Heriot was published today in The Herald, on the failure by Xi Engineering to reveal a conflict of interest
Sir
I read with interest the protestations by Xi Engineering that its role as an advisor to the Scottish Government and a consultant to America’s largest renewable energy company, Invenergy, did not create a conflict of interest.
As Mandy Rice-Davies might have said, "They would say that, wouldn't they?"
Local communities who object to windfarms are treated with disdain even when trying to protect nationally recognised landscapes, special conservation areas and internationally designated ancient monuments. Lauder Common is threatened by development on all sides now, despite its unique status as the largest area of Common Land still unenclosed in Scotland.
Yours faithfully,
John Williams, Heriot