24 Oct 2025
Residents in rural Scotland feel like they’re living in Communist China as vast amounts of clean energy projects are being bulldozed through their communities with little to no say from locals.
In a Westminster debate which took place this week, John Lamont MP (Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk) accused both the Labour and SNP governments of showing contempt for rural Scotland by forcing through massive infrastructure schemes, including wind farms, solar farms, battery storage units, and mega-pylons, despite widespread local opposition.
He said: “We live in the United Kingdom, and we should respect local decision making. We do not live in China, but it increasingly feels like that. Whatever the Government want is bulldozed through regardless of local opinion or the impact on our environment, habitats or landscapes. That is not how we do things in this country.”
He added: “Community consent and local democracy are vital, but local residents are being completely ignored when they say no to this damaging proliferation.
“The Labour and SNP governments are treating them with contempt by allowing this to happen.”
Mr Lamont warned that this unchecked rush toward net zero is “causing huge and lasting damage” to communities across the Borders and beyond.
At the heart of local anger is Scottish Power Energy Networks’ (SPEN) proposal for a massive electricity substation and network of giant pylons across Mr Lamont’s constituency. The substation alone would cover the equivalent of 40 football pitches, which he described as “deeply unpopular” and “hugely damaging” to the landscape, tourism, and local livelihoods.
The Scottish Conservatives are now demanding that local communities be given a veto over major developments. But earlier this month, that right was scrapped by the UK Labour Government, with backing from the SNP, Greens, Liberal Democrats, and Reform in Holyrood.
Harriet Cross, the Conservative MP for Gordon and Buchan, said: “Things are being imposed on communities who have very little say. The ways in which consultations are done are not up to scratch. It seems that there is nothing communities can do to have a say and actually be heard.”
Mr Lamont also warned that some of the most beautiful parts of Scotland are being sacrificed, while alternative solutions like nuclear power are ignored and the North Sea oil and gas sector faces being dismantled.
He also recognised the work of local campaigners in the Borders such as Rory Steel and local councillors Leagh Douglas and Julie Pirone who have helped to raise public awareness, alongside many others who are fighting to protect their communities and ensure local voices are heard.
He said: “Rural Scotland is expected to shoulder a disproportionate burden in the transition to net zero.”
“We are not saying that we do not want any energy infrastructure – we already have a lot in the Borders. It is about finding the right solution that protects our rural communities.”
Mr Lamont added: “Community consent and local democracy are vital, and I am afraid that my constituents too often feel that these projects are simply a done deal – that the projects are being done to them rather than with them, without meaningful and constructive engagement between the developer and local communities.
“The situation has become a free-for-all, and both the SNP and Labour Governments seem happy to sit back and watch the chaos unfold. Who pays the price? Our communities and the environment.”
The message was clear: Scotland’s countryside is not a dumping ground for unwanted energy projects. Local voices must be heard, their rights respected, and balance restored between progress and preservation.