Tuesday September 2nd 2025
Scottish Borders Council headquarters
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Paul Kelly
Councillors are being advised against raising an objection to a proposed windfarm despite acknowledgement of its “significant” visual impact on a Berwickshire village.
Scottish Borders Council’s Planning & Building Standards Committee will next week consider an application for the Ditcher Law Wind Farm on land north, south and west of Vineleaf Cottage in Oxton.
The proposal is for the erection of eight turbines with tip heights of 180 and 200m and for a 30MW battery storage facility.
The ultimate say on the development rests with Scottish Government’s Energy Consents Unit.
But the council can object to the proposal and trigger a public inquiry.
That’s not a recommendation being made by council officers with the view that “on balance” the development is acceptable.
The site is located on the eastern edge of the Lammermuir Hills extending across Ditcher Law and Headshaw Hill with the Hillhouse Burn running between both hills.
Within the site ground cover consists of rough grassland and heather with the land predominately used for livestock grazing.
The site is located within the Lammermuir Hills Special Landscape Area (SLA).
The Kelphope Burn runs through part of the eastern boundary, this forms part of the River Tweed Special Area of Conservation (SAC). The SAC is designated for its Atlantic salmon, lamprey and as a water course typically supporting water crowfoot species.
It is considered that the landscape and visual impact experienced at Oxton, and its immediate surrounding area will be significant.
A report to committee members acknowledges that “significant landscape and visual impacts are to be expected”, but adds: “These effects are localised and appropriate mitigation has been applied, these impacts are to be considered as being acceptable.
“There are found to be significant landscape impacts from Oxton and its immediate surrounding area however against policy, these impacts are judged to represent localised impacts that national planning policies recognises as an expected consequence associated with the need for increased deployment of more efficient and taller wind turbines.
“From further south along the Leader Valley, some turbines appear uncomfortably prominent, nevertheless these views are mostly experienced from less sensitive transient locations where the windfarm is perceived to be within an upland environment.”
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