Barrel Law wind farm visual impact concerns aired

Plans for the wind farm near Roberton were first refused in 2013

An appeal hearing into plans for a wind farm in the Scottish Borders has heard concerns about its visual impact on the area.

A first application for eight turbines at Barrel Law, near Roberton, was rejected in 2013.

Revised plans - with seven turbines - were refused by Scottish Borders Council again last year.

Developers ABO Wind have appealed to the Scottish government in an attempt to get that decision overturned.

A hearing in the village as part of the appeal process heard concerns about the combined impact with the existing turbines at Langhope Rig.

'Distinct identity'

Appearing as part of ABO Wind's panel of representatives, land and development consultant, James Welsh told the Scottish government reporter: "There are examples of wind farms being approved with similar distances between them but still being accepted as being clearly separate wind farms. 

"To insist on a greater separation would increase the effect of a cumulative effect between them."

Scottish Borders Council's planning consultant, Dr Guy Wimble, said he did not dispute they were identifiable as separate elements but had concerns about their effect on the area.

"The proximity of them makes this appear more of a wind farm landscape rather a landscape with wind farms," he said.

"While I accept that separating the developments would make the wind farms seem more spaced out, by putting them closer you'd increase density."

A Scottish government reporter will deliver a decision on the project's fate at a later date.

• Reporting by local democracy reporter Joseph Anderson