Borders wind farm approved after three rejections

A wind farm project in southern Scotland which had previously been rejected three times has been approved on appeal.

Scottish Borders Council (SBC) first turned down the Wull Muir scheme near Heriot in 2020 and an appeal to the Scottish government was also unsuccessful.

Revised plans were refused again by the local authority in July last year.

However, developers Energiekontor have now been successful in overturning that decision after taking the case to the Scottish government once again.

The eight-turbine project was first rejected due to its "unacceptable significant adverse impacts on the landscape" and an appeal against that refusal failed.

That prompted revised plans to be brought to SBC which suggested moving the turbines and increasing them in size.

They were recommended for approval by planning officers but, in the face of widespread local opposition, councillors gave them the thumbs down.

They cited the "significant landscape and visual impacts" in the area.

Developers lodged an appeal against that decision and it has been successful.

A Scottish government reporter concluded that the proposal would cause "significant adverse landscape and visual effects".

"However, that is to be expected for a proposal of this kind," he added.

He found that there were "no material considerations" which could justify refusing planning permission and granted it approval subject to a lengthy list of conditions.