Appeal to reverse decision of Scottish Border Council;

Appeal being made to Scottish Border Council to reverse previous decision;

WINDY EDGE WIND FARM application is now active – Reference: 13/00789/FUL
please email your objections to: ped@scotborders.gov.uk
or write to: John Hiscox, Planning Officer, Council HQ, Newtown St Boswells, Melrose, Scottish Borders, TD6 0SA. Anyone can object to this, wherever you live!
http://hermitage-action-group.com/please-object-.html

Hermitage Action Group
Scottish Borders Council contacts:

Ian Aikman
Chief Planning officer
Please ask for:
John Hiscox

Planning Ref:
13/00789/FUL

Appeal Ref:
15/00024/REF

E-Mail:
jhiscox@scotborders.gov.uk

Date:
1st October 2015

Dear Sir/Madam

PLANNING APPLICATION NO: 13/00789/FUL

PROPOSAL: 13/00789/FULWind farm development comprising of 9 No wind turbines and associated infrastructure/buildings/access (further revised scheme – tip heights of Turbines 1, 2 and 4 reduced to 110m – all others to remain at 125m)

LOCATION: Land North East And North West Of Farmhouse Braidlie (Windy Edge) Hawick Scottish Borders

APPEAL UNDER SECTION 47 OF THE TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING (SCOTLAND) ACT 1997

I am writing to advise you that an appeal has been lodged with Scottish Ministers against the decision of the Council that the above application be refused. A reporter appointed by Scottish Ministers will decide the procedure by which the appeal will be determined. A copy of your original representations will be included in the papers which I will be preparing in relation to the appeal. If you wish to make any further representations in respect of the appeal, you should write direct to the Directorate for Planning and Environmental Appeals, 4 The Courtyard, Callendar Business Park, Callendar Road, Falkirk, FK1 1XR, within 14 days from the receipt of this letter.

Yours faithfully

Ian Aikman

Chief Planning Officer

Windy Edge wind farm scheme rejected
29 June 2015 BBC
From the section South Scotland
Wind turbines
Councillors have refused plans for a wind farm south of Hawick due to concerns over its landscape impact.
Infinis UK wanted to put up nine turbines in the Windy Edge project north of Hermitage Castle.
The project had attracted more than 300 letters of opposition, along with more than 100 in support of the scheme.
Planning officials recommended refusal, saying it would be “incongruous and anachronistic”. Councillors voted by six to two to reject the proposals.
Supporters of the scheme claimed the turbines would have less of an impact on the landscape than forestry, and that it would help combat climate change.
Opponents believed there would be adverse visual impacts on areas like Hermitage Castle and the wider landscape.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-33310305

If someone could represent me, since I live in Gallup, New Mexico, USA, and it is a long ways to get to the meeting it would be greatly appreciated;

Details on Public Speaking for Committee for planning application 13/00789/FUL

Since I am from Gallup, New Mexico, USA if someone could represent me it would be greatly appreciated. My family utilized the Scottish Border spelling in the American Plantation from about 1650, but after the Revolution of 1776, we spelled it Elliott with two “t”s.

Brian Frater
Service Director Regulatory Services

Mark Elliot
Please ask for : Committee Services
01835 826502
Application Ref : 13/00789/FUL

Your Ref :

Date : 22nd June 2015

22nd June 2015
Dear Sir/Madam

PLANNING APPLICATION NO: 13/00789/FUL

PROPOSAL: Wind farm development comprising of 9 No wind turbines and associated infrastructure/buildings/access (further revised scheme – tip heights of Turbines 1, 2 and 4 reduced to 110m – all others to remain at 125m)
LOCATION:
Land North East And North West Of Farmhouse Braidlie (Windy Edge) Hawick Scottish Borders

Would Appreciate if someone could represent me.

Mark Elliott  6/23/2015

Dear HAG S

Supporter,  4/28/2015

You may be aware from information recently received from SBC that the final Further Environmental Information has been submitted by Infinis to SBC concerning Windy Edge Wind Farm, in which they have made a minor change of reducing the size of 3 of the 9 turbines to 110m, the rest remaining at 125m. This does not reduce the landscape or cultural heritage impacts upon this rare Border Landscape, heritage and locality, of this industrial power station. In fact this final Infinis arrangement of the turbines on Braidlie, is worse than the original design in the July 2013 application, which involved 8 turbines, with 3 at 111.5m and the other 5 at 121.5m.

I would be very grateful if you could email SBC planning, (prs@scotborders.gov.uk using the reference 13/00789/FUL , (Infinis Windy Edge Wind Farm), and briefly state that you continue to oppose this development, that the various amendments do not reduce the impact upon the landscape setting and cultural heritage landscape of Hermitage Castle. Please also emphasise that this is a part of the Scottish Borders, which is one of the few remaining areas which has not become a wind farm associated landscape and SBC should endeavour to keep it so. We have until 8th May to submit these final representations, with the determination date being 1st June.

Importantly, a key reason why I ask you to make a final brief objection: PLEASE LOOK AT THE ATTACHED MAP, it is from the Infinis Oct/14 addendum FEI to the application and indicates the location of other pre-application windfarms in or near the Liddesdale area. This has to be detailed by Infinis because it is referred to as ‘cumulative impact’.
I have recently been informed by a reliable source that BOTH the Newcastleton Forest Wind Farm, (already with x3 wind masts there), and the Wauchope Forest Wind Farm, (which comes down to Riccarton Junction and Saughtree), are going into the Scoping Stage in June. These are BOTH on Forestry Commission land and the developer for the Commission is Parternership for Renewables, (PoR). Current wireframes show well over 100 turbines, minimum height 135m. Comment was that this will make Windy Edge look like a pinprick, (it is shown on the map by the 9 red circles on the LHS). Due to the sensitivity of this vast scheme, at this point in time, information has been restricted but the rationale behind COMBINING both these schemes is that there will be no cumulative assessment of one half against the other!

If Windy Edge goes ahead, it will OPEN THE DOOR to these other proposed developments. Apart from the landscape impacts, there would inevitably be a severe deterioration in the quality of life of many residents living close to these monstrosities. It would also be a total disaster for Liddesdale and absolutely kill the tourism industry here.

PLEASE submit one final objection, (keep it brief and refer to the points in para 2 above), and help us to keep Hermitage and Liddesdale free of wind farm development.
Please pass this on to your friends and relatives who have supported us initially. I sincerely hope for one final push from all of you.
Best,
Malcolm
Chair, Hermitage Action Group

Camera angles from Dinley, and Dodd Fell.

From-

MALCOLM MCGREGOR;

Dear All,

If you some time to spare this weekend then HAG would be very grateful if you could pitch in and re-affirm/reinforce your previous objection to Windy Edge please.

From the attached photomontages which we have had our own professional landscape photographer take, the landscape and setting of the castle is still seriously under threat. The height of the 9 turbines has been increased to 125m, they are closer to non-financially involved properties and the developer is using a more powerful and noisier turbine nacelle unit. The first photomontage set is in 2 parts with a view from Dodd Hill on Gorrenberry near the Braidlie boundary. The 2nd part shows a panoramic view from the Right of Way and recently adopted SBC Core Path which passes over Dinley Fell and onwards through Braidlie and the wind farm site, across the Queen’s Mire and onwards. The second attachment is taken from Arnton Fell in the east and shows the impact of the proposed wind farm on the castle and Hermitage Water valley.

This continues to be a nasty application which would have many detrimental impacts. As mentioned previously, there are serious deficiencies in the Infinis Addendum FEI in terms of a) inaccurate statements with respect to the separation distance from turbines to properties in the Hermitage Water Valley and between the data and tables supplied in the FEI, b) a lack of view-points taken from the western, (minor road from the A7), approach to Hermitage Castle, c) the assumption that visitors to the area and castle only come by car, whilst in fact many visitors enjoy the peaceful walking in the Hermitage Hills as well as cycling/mountain biking and their enjoyment of this unspoilt countryside and the castle will be seriously impaired, d) the access route is extremely problematical with many 3rd party access rights required between Denholm and Whitrope for the abnormal heavy loads, with the heaviest load being the turbine nacelle unit itself which will be at least 140 tonnes, and will not the the section of road any good, which has a 10 ton weight limit, from Whitrope Tunnel Cottages to the Whitrope Heritage Railway access point towards Sundhope and Bradlie!

For information, the HAG objection by lawyer Alastair McKie is now on the SBC portal to view and a number of other objections are now appearing. The application reference is;

13/00789/FUL and emails should be addressed to prs@scotborders.gov.uk or jhiscox@scotborders.gov.uk

Please help us to confine this application permanently to the dustbin.

Best,
Malcolm 12/4/2014

Hermitage Action Group (HAG)

Please support;

Hermitage Action Group

www.hermitage-action-group.com

Hermitage Action Group – Clan Armstrong Trust
www.clanarmstrongtrust.org.uk/articles/hermitage-action-group

Mark Elliott   12/4/2014