28 Mar 2025
Scottish Borders Council (SBC) is set to formally object to plans for a major renewable energy park in the region, citing significant concerns over its geographic impact and effect on the local landscape.
Fred Olsen Renewables has submitted an application to Scottish ministers seeking consent to develop Lees Hill Energy Park, located south of Black Hill Wind Farm at Longformacus. The project includes up to six wind turbines reaching a maximum tip height of 200m, along with solar PV arrays and battery storage units, with a generation capacity ranging from 100 MW to 200 MW.
As the designated planning authority, SBC has been consulted on the application. When the council’s Planning & Building Standards Committee meets on Monday (March 31), members will be advised to object to the proposal.
Planning officers argue that the development would lead to a “significant and unacceptable adverse change” to the existing landscape character of the area. Their report highlights concerns about the impact on the Lammermuir Hills Special Landscape Area (SLA), particularly affecting the scale, appreciation, and character of the southern and central parts of the SLA, which encompass the Dirrington Laws, Dirrington Great Law, and Dirrington Little Law.
The report further asserts that the applicant has not adequately demonstrated that the project’s indirect effects on nationally, regionally, and locally significant archaeological sites—primarily prehistoric cairns—would be minimal or acceptable.
Crucially, the council's stance reflects a broader respect for geographic and locational sensitivities, emphasising that the landscape's unique character and historical significance must be safeguarded. The report concludes that these adverse effects outweigh the benefits of the development’s contribution to renewable energy targets.
While NPF4 supports renewable energy projects as part of Scotland’s net zero transition, it also demands careful site selection and protection of landscape character, natural heritage and historic assets. Since the Lees Hill Energy Park proposal fails to achieve a balanced approach between climate action and local environmental protections, this case has the potential to serve as a strong example of NPF4 principles being applied in practice.