Scottish Borders Council opposes Beef Tub wind farm bid

Developers have reduced the number of turbines proposed for the site from 36 to 24

Scottish Borders Council has opposed revised plans for a wind farm near the Devil's Beef Tub in southern Scotland.

Wind Energy has reduced its application to the Scottish government for the Earlshaugh site from 36 to 24 turbines.

The company said the new plans would greatly reduce the visual and landscape impact on the surrounding area.

However, planning councillors in the Borders have followed the advice of officials and decided to lodge an objection to the scheme.

The wind farm site is located in the Scottish Borders but lies within a few miles of neighbouring Dumfries and Galloway.

Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale MP David Mundell has already objected to the revised proposals, claiming the area remained "entirely inappropriate".

SBC has now followed suit, opposing the plans for a second time.

The council objected over the impact on the Tweedsmuir Hills and nearby Devil's Beef Tub - which acquired its name from its historical use as a site to hide stolen cattle.

The company has been investigating the Earlshaugh site since 2004.

It says it has tried to develop a scheme which is "sensitive to the local environment and one that will be a good neighbour to the local community for years to come".