AN ambitious attempt to preserve one of Peeeblesshire’s most scenic rural landscapes has been tabled by campaigning locals.

The Lyne Valley, and its surrounding catchment hills, is one of the few remaining rural areas of the region which has avoided large-scale development.

And an impressive 48-page glossy brochure highlighting the reasons why it should stay that way has been submitted to planners at Scottish Borders Council.

The unprecedented move is an attempt to include Lyne within the neighbouring Tweedsmuir Special Landscape Area - and be granted better protection from development.

The brochure, which highlights the valley’s rich history, its beauty, its geology and its potential, has been submitted as part of the consultation exercise into the Local Development Plan for the Borders.

A planning application has already been submitted to place wind turbines on Sanderson Hill above the valley - and there are fears that the geography of the area will lend itself to even more windfarm developments.

Jim Pratt is one of the authors of the brochure. He said: “The new Local Development Plan gives us an opportunity to make our views known to planning officers, councillors and the Scottish Government.

“We think that the landscape and cultural heritage attributes of this small corner of the Scottish Borders have been seriously undervalued, leaving the area wide open for inappropriate development.

“The hills that make up the backdrop to the Lyne along with the Meldon and the Tarth waters provide wonderful, unspoiled walking and riding country - a place away from the honey-pots of Glentress and the busy streets of Peebles.

“Sensitive placing of paths through the area would be a benefit.” A total of three community councils - Lamancha, Newlands and Kirkurd, Manor, Stobo and Lyne, and West Linton - have backed the brochure bid for better protection.

And local councillor Catriona Bhatia also applauds the efforts of the authors.

She told us: “This is a fantastic piece of work by the community and I fully support what they are trying to achieve.” The Local Development Plan sets out policies to influence development in the Borders - offering greater protection for some areas and encouraging activity in others.

The plan was drawn up last year but the Lyne Valley residents hope their proposals will be a late inclusion during the consultation period which ended earlier this month.

Once any modifications to the plan have been accepted it will be published in its entirety during the summer before being officially adopted later in the year.

But there are fears that the Lyne amendment proposals have come too late.

Councillor Bhatia added: “Landscapes were discussed and consulted on almost two years ago. I hope it’s not too late.” The 13 authors submitted their brochure at the start of February.

And they expect to find out of they have been successful in the next couple of months.

Whatever the outcome Mr Pratt believes it has been a worthwhile exercise. He added: “We invested time and money in writing and illustrating our proposal, even though we were advised that we have little chance of getting the Local Development Plan revised because it is so far down the line to completion.

“But this represents the only bite of the cherry, so we took the chance.

“Even if it fails, it provided all of us with great pleasure and a much improved understanding of the things which make our landscape special.” The proposal was put together by Duncan and Janice Davidson, Jim and Karen Pratt, William and Lucinda Bannister, Jane Dickson, Joe Fernand, Alan and Judith Gray, Hamish Lockie, Keith Thomas, and Iain Lamb.