A BID to create Scotland's only organic grain mill in remote Peeblesshire has been turned down by Scottish Borders Council.

David and Jacqueline Walker, who run Romanno Mains Renewables, wanted to create the micro-mill in the grounds of their Spruce House home near West Linton.

But planners at the local authority didn't believe the project warranted support.

Mr and Mrs Walker won the delivery contract for the Breadshare Community Bakery, which moved from its Peeblesshire origins of Whitmuir Farm to Portobello last year.

Part of Breadshare's future business plan was to bake its products from organic Scottish grain which is ground in a Scottish mill.

A spokesman said: "The proposed site and operation of the micro-mill is a trial site which will process small quantities of grain to produce flour on a small scale.

"In the event that the trial is successful, similar sites will be implemented as part of satellite bakeries throughout Scotland.

"This is the reason that the site is required only on a temporary basis of three to five years. Alternative, more permanent, premises would be sought on a larger scale, if the operation is successful."

It was estimated that the mill would produce around 250 kilogrammes of flour each week, which would be grown in East Lothian, for the Edinburgh bakery.

The spokesman added: "Breadshare has a requirement for organic Scottish grown grain, milled in Scotland, so that it can then be baked into organic bread in Edinburgh.

"They are currently importing grain from outside of Scotland. There are currently no known stone-ground flour-mills in Scotland that mill organic Scottish-grown grain.

"In a joint venture with Breadshare, RMR Ltd will fill that gap to reduce transport costs and the environmental implications of long-haul movement of organic baking materials from England.

"Instead organic grain will be sourced in East Lothian, milled on the proposed site on a trial basis and baked in Edinburgh."

Despite the detailed synopsis which accompanied the planning application, Scottish Borders Council's planning department weren't won over.

And this week they refused to grant permission.

Planning officer Stuart Herkes said: "The proposal does not comply with the requirement of Adopted Local Plan Policy D1 in that the proposal would more reasonably be accommodated within the development boundary of a settlement rather than in this particular location.

"Although the proposal would be temporary and small-scale in nature, and although it would provide an additional source of income for an established business which is already operating from the site, the applicant has not demonstrated an economic and/or operational need for the particular countryside location."