Rejected wind farm seeks approval after revisions

A wind farm which was previously rejected for having a "severely disruptive" effect on the Borders landscape is being recommended for approval.

Scottish Borders Council turned down the eight-turbine Wull Muir scheme near Heriot and an appeal to the Scottish government was unsuccessful in 2020.

Developers Energiekontor have now revised their plans and resubmitted them to the local authority.

The planning committee is being recommended "on balance" to give them approval this time.

Permission for the original project - close to the boundary with Midlothian - was rejected by the council in February 2020 on the grounds of its "unacceptable significant adverse impacts on the landscape".

The developers appealed against that decision and took the case to the Scottish government which confirmed the scheme should not proceed.

Revised plans have now been submitted which have seen the proposed turbines moved and increased in size.

A report to the planning committee now recommends that it should be allowed to go ahead despite opposition from the council's landscape architect and Heriot community council.

It has concluded that the visual impact has been reduced but not "fully mitigated" by the revisions.

However, the council is being advised to give its approval to the scheme with 27 conditions attached relating to issues including design, habitat management and aviation lighting.