Monday January 12th 2026
Councillor Douglas with constituents George Irving and son James alongside Cllr Douglas in front of an area where Mega Pylons are currently proposed in the Yarrow Valley.
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Paul Kelly
Communities across the Borders will unite this weekend to give people a louder voice when decisions are made on “unchecked” energy infrastructure projects.
Concern is growing across the region at what some see as the imposition of new pylons and wind farms on the landscape.
Now communities are mobilising in unprecedented numbers as the first Borders Convention on Major Energy Infrastructure is confirmed for Saturday, January 17 at Jedburgh Town Hall, from 2pm to 4pm.
The Convention follows two Highland Conventions and will bring together community councils, campaign groups and elected representatives to challenge the “unchecked roll-out of large-scale energy infrastructure in the absence of a coherent national plan”.
Conservative Councillor Leagh Douglas, for Selkirkshire, says people across the Borders are reaching “breaking point”.
She said: “They are being asked to absorb wave after wave of major energy infrastructure with no clear national strategy, no proper assessment of cumulative impact and no meaningful say in decisions that will permanently alter their landscapes and lives.
“The prospect of vast pylons cutting through treasured valleys such as Ettrick and Yarrow is not just upsetting, it is unacceptable. This Convention is about standing up for our communities and drawing a clear line in the sand.”
Numerous community councils and campaign groups across the Scottish Borders, Dumfries and Galloway, East Lothian and South Lanarkshire have already committed to attend this weekend.
The Convention will hear a Unified Statement, approved by the Highland Conventions, calling for urgent national reform of how major energy infrastructure is planned and approved.
Fellow Conservative councillor Jenny Linehan, Scottish Borders Council’s executive member for Environment, Sustainability and Transport, added: “Across the Borders, communities are being asked to shoulder an unfair burden in Scotland’s energy transition.
“In general, people are not opposed to renewables, they are opposed to chaos, inconsistency and a system that sidelines local voices.
“A national energy policy is critical, because as things stand, local authorities’ hands can be tied.”
The Borders Convention will call for:
– A pan-Scotland Planning Inquiry Commission to examine cumulative impacts
– A pause on major energy applications until a clear national energy policy and full
economic impact assessment are in place
– Meaningful protection of local democracy and community consultation
If endorsed, Borders representatives will work to unite with Highland and Aberdeenshire Conventions to escalate these demands to national level.
Councillor Douglas added: “This is not a one-off meeting or a symbolic gesture. It is a sustained, determined campaign to ensure our communities are no longer ignored.
“The message from the Borders is clear: our landscapes, our democracy and our community’s matter.”
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