Thumbs down for sky high turbines?

 EXCLUSIVE by DOUG COLLIE

The proposed construction of 45 massive wind turbines in the Southern Uplands landscape would bring unacceptable harm to the local environment, Borders planning officers have concluded.

Now, members of Scottish Borders Council will be advised to lodge a formal objection to the so-called Faw Side wind farm which would cover 23 square kilometres in a vast swathe of open countryside stretching from Teviothead, near Hawick, to beyond Langholm in Dumfries & Galloway.

The final decision on Community Wind Power Ltd's [CWP] proposals which would see the tallest turbines so far to be erected in the Borders will rest with the Scottish Government Energy Consents Unit. But a 40-page report prepared by local planners outlines the range of negative impacts CWP's project would have on an area so far largely unaffected by wind farms.

As report author Scott Shearer explains: "Each of the turbines will be three bladed and consist of the following specification; 40 turbines with a 200 metre tip height, comprising 125m hub and 150m blade diameter;  5 turbines with a 179.5m tip height, comprising 104.5m hub and 150m blade diameter Of the 45 turbines, 13 are located within the Scottish Borders. Their turbine numbers are T1-11 and T18 and T19. All other turbines are located in Dumfries and Galloway."

The document emphasises that Scottish Borders Council remains positive towards the principle of wind energy development, as reflected in its policies and guidance. As required by policy considerations, the benefits of energy production, and the dis-benefits of environmental impact must be weighed carefully against one another. 

"The development of a new large commercial wind farm at Faw Side would result in a significant displacement in carbon dioxide and make a large contribution towards the Scottish Government targets from renewable energy production. The development would provide inward investment into the Scottish Borders and create jobs. However, these benefits have to be finely balanced against the environmental impacts of the development.

"The height of the proposed turbines would be the tallest wind turbines within the Scottish Borders and some of the tallest onshore turbines anywhere in Scotland. The development is located within part of the Southern Uplands which has been largely untouched by wind energy development."

In the view of SBC's planning officers the excessive scale and layout of the proposed turbines and their access tracks will result in an unacceptable, significant and adverse visual impact which will harm the rural character of the minor road to Commonbrae, used regularly by local residents and tourists using the road to visit Hizzy Cairn.

The cairn is a memorial to Steve Hislop, the Hawick-born motor cycling ace who won the Isle of Man TT eleven times. The memorial is close to the spot where Hislop died, aged 41, in 2003 when the helicopter he was piloting crashed into a remote hillside. 

And the report continues: "The development will also affect users of the A7 and while these views may be intermittent, they will still have an unacceptable and significant adverse visual effect for the experience of residents, commuters and tourists travelling to and from the Scottish Borders, including sequential cumulative impacts. 

"The scale of the turbines require the installation of aviation lighting. Turbine lighting has the potential to affect the experience of a number of people travelling on roads and paths within southern and central parts of the Scottish Borders when a cluster of industrial red lights would appear in elevated positions which would detract from the visual amenities of the otherwise dark rural setting including its sense of remoteness and tranquillity."

The recommendation to elected members of the council consists of the following text:

" That the Council indicate to the Energy Consents Unit that it objects to the proposed development for the following reasons; 

"Reason for Objection 1: Impact on Landscape Character The proposed development would be contrary to Local Development Plan Policy ED9 the Renewable Energy Supplementary Guidance and the Landscape Capacity and Cumulative Impact Study, in that the scale, form, layout and location of the development would represent a significant and unacceptable adverse change to the existing landscape character of the area, particularly impacting on the scale, appreciation and character of the Cauldcleuch Head and Craik Landscape Character Areas.

"Reason for Objection 2: Visual Impact The proposed development would be contrary to Local Development Plan Policy ED9 the Renewable Energy Supplementary Guidance and the Landscape Capacity and Cumulative Impact Study, in that the excessive scale and layout of the proposed development will result in significant and unacceptable adverse visual impacts to sensitive receptors using the minor road to Commonbrae and travelling to and from the Scottish Borders on the A7.

"Reason for Objection 3: Aviation Lighting The proposed development would be contrary to Local Development Plan Policy ED9 and the Renewable Energy Supplementary Guidance in that the visual impact of red aviation lights on the wind turbines, will create significant and unacceptable adverse visual effects, incongruous and visible over considerable distance. This will introduce urban characteristics into a dark rural environment largely unaffected by artificial light experienced by receptors travelling on public roads and paths within the area and would also detract from the sense of remoteness and tranquility of the Cauldcleuch Head and Craik Landscape Character Areas.

"Reason for Objection 4: Archaeology Impacts The proposed development would be contrary to Local Development Plan Policies ED9, EP8 and the Renewable Energy Supplementary Guidance in that the applicant has failed to demonstrate that the direct physical impacts of the development would not be significant and unacceptable on sites of `national, regional and local archaeological significance within the site. Furthermore, the size and location of turbines 8 and 19 would have an unacceptable and significantly adverse impact on the setting of Pikethaw Cairn, without adequate mitigation or demonstration that the benefits of the scheme outweigh such impact."

The report is due to be considered by SBC's Planning & Building Standards Committee on March 1st.