Two single 100m high turbines are planned at Chesterbank, Lamberton, near the England Scotland border and at Harelaw Farm, Chirnside.
AAH Planning Consultants submitted plans for both turbines to Scottish Borders Council last week but as the exact turbine model has not yet been decided the applications are for turbines “of up to 100m”.
The separate applications make similar statements: “Whereas this is generally considered to be a large scale turbine, the proposal is for only a single turbine and not a wind farm and only includes a limited amount of hardstanding and associated infrastructure.
“The proposal has also been sited to ensure that there would not be a significant cumulative impact.”
The Berwickshire landscape has been divided into 32 different categories within the 2013 ‘Landscape Visual Guidance for Single & Groups of 2 or 3 wind turbines in Berwickshire’ document and the turbine proposed at Lamberton is located within the ‘coastal pasture’ landscape character type and the ‘Lamberton Moor’ landscape character.
The Harelaw Farm turbine is in the ‘rolling lowland margin and Eye Water lowland character area’.
The maximum turbine height recommended for both these landscapes is 50m - both areas fall within landscapes that can take small (20-25m) or small/medium (35 to 50m) turbines.
Planning consultant Andrew Philpott said of the Lamberton turbine: “The proposal relates to a single wind turbine that would be clearly visible and, therefore, would have an impact on the landscape character.”
“Moderate averse” is the description of the impact both turbines will have on the landscape according to the applicants, and the Harelaw Farm turbine has been sited to ensure it has “no impact on densely populated areas”.