by EWAN LAMB
Heritage watchdog Historic Environment Scotland [HES] will not object to the development of a 53-turbine windfarm in the Borders although the area contains scheduled monuments and the largest concentration of prehistoric hillforts anywhere in the United Kingdom.
HES had warned it would try to block original proposals by Muirhall Energy to erect 62 turbines and carry out associated works to create the Teviot windfarm in open countryside south of Hawick.
The agency feared the project would compromise Hermitage Castle, one of the finest examples of a medieval castle in Scotland, and other monuments of national importance - the Tinlee Standing Stone, a 1.35-metre high pre-historic stone, and the Catrail Earthworks.
But in a newly published submission to the Scottish Government's Energy Consents Unit, HES says the removal of some of the turbines coupled with "mitigation measures" means it will not now object to the scheme. But it is conceded one of the turbines will still have an impact on the castle which has associations with Mary Queen of Scots and Sir Walter Scott.
In its statement, HES explains: "Our key interests in this case relate to the potential impacts on the setting of the designated historic environment assets in the vicinity of the proposed development. We welcome the work that has been done to date to address the impact on the historic environment."
In a section of the submission dealing with Hermitage Castle, HES says the monument is one of the great medieval fortresses of Scotland. The castle and its surrounding surviving medieval elements, including a chapel and deer park, occupy a prominent site on the valley floor on the north bank of the Hermitage Water, with steep rising hillsides to the north and south. The monument had a strategic role in controlling passage through Liddesdale, commanding views along the valley to the east.
"The original proposed development would give rise to significant adverse impacts on the integrity of the setting of Hermitage Castle caused by the appearance of a number of turbines in views towards the castle and directly behind/above it from the main approach road from the south east. This raised issues in the national interest for this asset and we would have objected to the scheme on grounds of significant adverse impacts on the integrity of Hermitage Castle’s setting."
In the view of HES, the removal of some turbines and the reduction in height of others had significantly reduced the visual impact on the castle on the approach from the south-east. But the tip of Turbine 28 would still appear on the ridge directly behind and above the monument in a key view towards the castle on the approach road.
"We therefore disagree with the conclusion in the AEI (Additional Environmental Information) Report that the proposals would result in a minor level of effect. Other than a line of telegraph poles beside the minor road, this would appear as the only modern structure within this landscape.
"However, we consider that the design revisions presented in the AEI Report have considerably reduced the visibility of the wind farm on this key approach to Hermitage Castle. Following the mitigation the effect has been reduced to a level where it would no longer significantly affect the integrity of setting of the scheduled monument or raise issues of national interest."
The HES assessment reaches similar conclusions for the Tinlee Stone and the Catrail.
The statement ends: “Although we disagree with some aspects of the applicant’s approach to the assessments, we agree with their overall conclusions of no more than a minor significance of effect for the majority of scheduled monuments with the exception of those identified above. We do not object to the proposed development."
A very different approach has been taken by Kenneth Moffatt, member of a family of artists and goldsmiths who have had a business - the Johnnie Armstrong Gallery and Borderlands Museum at Teviothead alongside the A7 trunk road - dating back to 1978.
In his lengthy written objection to the windfarm, Mr Moffatt writes: "We have constantly been involved in raising the profile and attempting to have the archaeology and the cultural heritage of the region both recognised and recorded, as an asset for the area. No consultation has taken place with local businesses on the Teviot windfarm footprint, other than the limited few who appear to be financially involved, directly or indirectly, with the proposal."
Mr Moffatt claims the windfarm will dominate the epicentre of the Teviothead Volcanic Complex, a unique and largely understudied geological region of concentrated clustered volcanic vents. As a spur of the Cheviots, these hills form an incredible and almost impregnable natural fortress – the consequence of which caused the Romans to build Hadrian's wall.
He adds: "Additionally the Teviot wind farm footprint has unique and compounded archaeology of international importance, from the prehistoric period onwards. This region, however, is almost completely unexplored, and to date no serious modern archaeological investigations or excavations have taken place at all.
"The broader region in which the Teviot wind farm proposal is set has a total of 408 recorded prehistoric hillforts. This is the highest concentration of hillforts found anywhere in Scotland, Ireland, England or Wales. In fact this is 25 percent of the total number of hillforts found in Scotland, and 10 per cent of the total found across the UK and Ireland combined."
And, according to Mr Moffatt: "This region is now included by extension in UNESCO's World Heritage Roman Frontier. In a region of such archaeological importance, elsewhere in the UK it would be required to have a full team of archaeologists surveying and excavating ahead of any proposed scheme – as we see for instance on the HS2 project – with major discoveries as a consequence.
"Until a full and comprehensive study of the region is made, for a scheme of this magnitude to be allowed would be a reprehensible act of vandalism in the eyes of the world".
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