Tuesday October 21st 2025
Action Against Pylons:Scottish Borders Alliance (AAP:SBC) group at Lauder Common on Saturday (18 October)
Written by Midlothian View Reporter, Liam Eunson
A group of local people in the Scottish Borders met on Lauder Common on Saturday (18 October) to ‘see for themselves’ how historic Lauderdale could be industrialised by the growing number of renewable energy proposals near Lauder, Stow, Heriot and Galashiels.
It was organised by Action Against Pylons:Scottish Borders Alliance (AAP:SBA), a coalition of community groups and councils opposed to the Scottish Energy Netwroks (SPEN)’s proposal to build a 98km powerline from Lauder to Newcastleton. The walk was well supported by local people including John Lamont MP and two candidates for the local elections in May.
From a vantage point on the Southern Upland Way, the group were able to look over award winning Threepwood Moss, home to curlews and a Special Area of Conservation (SAC). Threepwood Moss is at risk from major construction works for an electricity substation, a battery energy storage system (BESS), and a nearby solar farm. The total site of the substation will cover approximately 24 hectares which is equivalent to around 40 football pitches. The Gala North substation proposal is also controversial because of its proximity to a SAC.
The group explained, “Many people feel that Scottish Power’s approach to consulting local communities about their proposals has been less than transparent. People do not understand why SPEN (Scottish Power Energy Networks) calls the site of the proposed substation ‘Gala North’ when in fact it is closer to the historic Royal Burgh of Lauder.”
AAP:SBA wants a moratorium on renewable energy developments, greater transparency, and a national planning inquiry to address the cumulative impact on communities and landscapes.
Other factors that urged the group to take action include the government’s refusal to build or refurbish nuclear power stations thus making the country more dependant on solar and wind power, rising demand of electricity, lack of acknowledgment of local communities surrounding development applications, lack of transparency, and the belief that Cross Border Connection will have a terrible impact on the landscape.
Cross Borders Connection is a joint development between SP Transmission and National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET), who are all within SP Energy Networks. The proposal is to build a new electricity transmissionlink between England and Scotland.
Vice Chair of AAP:SBA, Edward Kellow, explained:
“All this is very complex and distressing. The walk that we arranged on Saturday was an attempt to make people aware of the cumulative impact of different but interdependent projects on a special area of conservation (SAC).
“Threepwood is at risk from a substation, a battery energy storage system and a solar farm. There already is a windfarm at nearby Longpark. The cumulative impact of all these projects in my opinion would destroy the landscape and the rare birds that live there forever.”
Another factor that urged AAP:SBA to take action was that statutory bodies seem unwilling to take responsability. Edward explained that NESO (National Energy System Operator) told the group that they do not require SPEN to build the Cross Borders Connection throught he Borders.
“SPEN are at liberty to propose a route, any route, that meets the requirements to provide an energy connection between Scotland and Newcastleton”, he explained.
In response SPEN say they have chosen the route that best meets the criteria of technical feasibility and low cast.
“We would say that in landscapes like the Scottish Borders, SPEN should be willing to spend more to minimise the danage to the landscape.”
Edward highlighted that the owner of Lauderdale Farm, who runs his operations on organic principles, said surrounding Cross Border Connection, “If this goes ahead we will all regret it”.
“I think he is right”, Edward explained, “I also think constantly about the metaphor of the frog in a pan of water on the stove. I attended a meeting of a local community council near to where I live in February. When I asked why the council had not made any comment on the Cross Border Connection proposal, they said it was too early. When I asked how many people had attended a drop in consultation meeting in Lauder organised by SPEN, the chair said he didn’t know.
“I’m very afraid that many people are acting like frogs in a pan of water, and the outcome will not be good.”
With Edward and his group fighting not only to save untouched Scottish Borders landscape but also to force transparency and have a say in the proposed energy projects, AAP:SBA alongside other local groups, such as Lauder Preservation Group, are aiming to prevent the mass industrialisation of historic Borders land.
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