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Solar farm scheme will be 'well contained'

Getty Images A generic image of solar panels as the sun rises in front of three wind turbinesGetty Images
The panels would be put up near to the wind farm in the area

Councillors in the Borders have agreed not to object to a large solar park being proposed for the Lammermuir Hills in Berwickshire.

Fred Olsen Renewables has applied to the government's Energy Consents Unit for permission to put up about 55,000 panels near the Crystal Rig wind farm - about four miles (6km) from the village of Cranshaws.

Scottish Borders Council (SBC) planning committee agreed not to oppose the scheme in the Lammermuir Hills Special Landscape Area.

Berwickshire councillor Donald Moffat said he felt the proposals would be quite well screened from general public view.

"Where these solar panels are being proposed for - unless you are actually going up to drive through the area you won't see anything," he said.

"It is something that is going to be well contained within the plateau.

"I didn't see any reason to go against this and actually all our officers were all quite happy about this."

SBC is being consulted on the project but due to the scale of the development the final say will lie with the Scottish government.