A BID for an eight-turbine wind farm near Romanno Bridge has been thrown out by Scottish Borders Council’s planning committee.

Members met to consider the application by Stevenson Hill Wind Energy Limited.

The company wanted to site the 100-metre turbines along Green Knowe, Hag Law and Wether Law - just a couple of miles outside the hamlet, A total of 125 letters of objection were tabled with Scottish Borders Council as well as opposition from organisations such as Historic Scotland, the Scottish Rights of Way Society and Midlothian Council, who have also raised concerns.

Objections were also raised by several community councils around the rural Peeblesshire area.

Members of the Planning Committee voted unanimously to follow the recommendations of planning officers and refuse permission.

Planning officer John Hiscox said: “Hag Law does not conform to the usual requirements for wind farms in terms of its landscape and visual impacts.

“The Cloich Hills are small and the turbines would dominate them in terms of scale; containment is poor due to the nature of the landscape meaning that the turbines would be highly visible from many vantage points; the linear nature of the scheme and the placement of turbines on the ridges of distinctive hills is at odds with the subtle and attractive nature of the locality; the proposed access, infrastructure and the turbines would relate poorly to the landscape, would compete with the settings of several monuments and would cause adverse visual impacts in relation to the Scottish National Trail.” The application was rejected on grounds of harm to the historic landscape, visual impact on surrounding settlements, lack of noise limitations, and its proximity to the Scottish National Trail.