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Joy as reporter blows away appeal over wind turbine plan for Broadmeadows
Newark Castle, Bowhill, Selkirk.
THERE was jubilation this week after a Scottish Government reporter threw out the appeal from energy company Greenpower over the refusal to let it erect eight turbines in one of the most picturesque landscapes in the Borders.
Greenpower has spent almost eight years trying to gain consent for the group of 112m-high turbines at Broadmeadows Farm in the heart of the Yarrow Valley.
The company’s proposals for the Broadmeadows site, which lies close to the Southern Upland Way, were scaled down from the original 13 to eight of the 112m-high structures, but this still failed to appease councillors.
Their refusal to grant consent last June came just two months after the Newtown-based planning authority’s decision to also boot into touch an application for 12 turbines at Minch Moor, just two miles west of the Broadmeadows site, from Swedish energy giant, Vattenfall, and which was also upheld by the reporter to Scottish ministers.
Greenpower opted to appeal the local authority’s decision, but the council’s refusal has now been confirmed by reporter, Michael Cunliffe.
Greenpower had claimed the energy needs of about 12,000 homes could be met by the turbines, but Mr Cunliffe felt the scheme would have “significant adverse effects” on the landscape.
“I find that the proposed development would not accord with the development plan, by reason of its unacceptable landscape and visual impacts, including, in particular, its effects on Broadmeadows/Yarrowford, the Southern Upland Way and the setting of Newark Castle,” stated Mr Cunliffe in his report.
Councillor Carolyn Riddell-Carre, SBC executive member for planning and environment, and the Selkirkshire member of the planning committee, said the reporter had agreed with the council that the Broadmeadows proposal would have been the wrong development in the wrong place.
“Our landscape is our greatest asset in the Borders and it is really brilliant news that we have stopped these giant turbines from looming over the Yarrow Valley,” she said.
“I hope that companies considering applications for wind farms in the Borders will all take note that our new planning policy cannot be ridden over roughshod.”
Tweeddale East councillor Gavin Logan, who lives in Clovenfords and is the ward member of the planning committee, was also delighted by the reporter’s decision.
“If this application had been successful, it would have opened a can of worms along the Southern Upland Way and had a massive impact on Clovenfords and the Tweed Valley,” he said.
And Clovenfords & District Community Council secretary, Stuart Bell, said local people were “ecstatic” and that the decision vindicated the steadfast objection by surrounding communities to what he called a “totally inappropriate” development.
“We considered that the Broadmeadows application was unacceptable to residents in our village, to road users and tourists, and to recreational users following the paths and trails on and around the Southern Upland Way,” said Mr Bell.
“The reporter found in our favour on all these aspects.”
Mr Bell thanked the hundreds of people in Clovenfords, Walkerburn, Ettrick and Yarrow Valleys, Selkirk and elsewhere in the Borders, who he said had been consistent in their objections and efforts over the past seven years to what he said would have been “ an outrageous intrusion” on a beautiful landscape.
“Common sense has prevailed,” he added.
But Mr Bell says the appeals process is clearly fundamentally flawed when it seems so easy for a developer to lodge a broad-based appeal against an overwhelming unanimous rejection by the planning committee.
“The legislation which covers appeals was amended in 2006 – it really is time that the Scottish Parliament considered a review of the amended legislation, because how it operates in practice seems to be neither just nor fair.”
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Weather for Galashiels
Thursday 24 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 10 C to 19 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 8 C to 19 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: East
Comments
There are 5 comments to this article
Page 1 of 1
Black Grouse
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 02:12 AMNational Grid are slightly better informed than you.
Jambojohnt
Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 09:50 PMBlack Grouse, "Jambojohnt. Your comment would only make sense if wind power capacity substituted for nuclear and other thermal baseload generation". Are you aware that wind turbines are not the only method of generating green energy? The Scottish Government has met its target of generating 31% of Scotland's electricity from renewable energy by 2011, and the next target is 80% by 2020, which was raised from 50% in September 2010. The majority of this is likely to come from tidal and wind power. Current predictions are that due to the great advances being made, particularly in Edinburgh, that tidal power will make up 80% of that renewable energy. Clearly you don't accept that green energy within the next 10 years will almost negate the need for nuclear and other dirty generation, thankfully our government aren't as short-sighted as you.
Black Grouse
Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 04:27 PMJambojohnt. Your comment would only make sense if wind power capacity substituted for nuclear and other thermal baseload generation. It does not. National Grid states that, even if we built the 32,000 odd turbines that government intends to inflict on us, we still need 30.5GW of new nuclear and some 36GW of new gas-fuelled capacity. (See the last two 'Seven Year Statements', downloadable from the NG website). The reason why is very evident when you see that all the 4,006MW of metered wind capacity (a lot of which is now offshore) was producing precisely 36MW at peak load on 6 January 2012, when we experienced one of the highest loads (demand) of the winter due to freezing temperatures. 36MW is the headline capacity of 12 Vestas V90 turbines of the type you find all over the Borders. Even 'green guru' Jonathan Porritt does not agree with you, the most ludicrously pro-wind report yet written, which is invariably referenced by the BWEA, Greenpeace and FOE, states: "It would be unrealistic to assume that wind energy would displace any nuclear capacity" (‘Wind Power in the UK’, Sustainable Development Commission. 2005. p35).
Jambojohnt
Friday, February 3, 2012 at 09:31 AMNorfolk boy "We still need to get the Government "? What do you mean by this? Do you mean you want them to back track on their manifesto pledge to reduce by 42 per cent greenhouse gas emissions by 2020? I'd love it if they said, fair play, you don't want a wind farm and slapped a nuclear power station in its place or maybe a coal fired one. That's the future isn't it?
norfolkboy14
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 07:21 AMWell done and congratulations to all concerned. The battle has been won but not the war! We still need to get the Government onside, as well as local councils and others, if we are going to stop these wind turbines being built elsewhere. Are you disillusioned by rising electricity prices, over dependence on the "green" dream [especially uneconomical and inefficient wind farms] and the destruction of our countryside then please register your objection to the Government by GOOGLING "PETITION 22958" and following the link. Please pass this message on to Councillors, members of your community and anyone else you know to persuade them to sign up too. If you are really concerned about wind turbines please write a letter promoting this petition to the Editors of your local newspapers.
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