Tuesday October 27th 2026
Bob Hope
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Paul Kelly
A Borders campaigner believes the results of a new Scottish Government consultation proves that decisions over major energy developments need to be “put in local people’s hands”.
Nearly four out five (77%) of respondents to the consultation want local authorities, not Scottish Ministers, to decide applications for major schemes.
Proposals for electricity generating schemes of 50MW or above are currently decided by the Energy Consents Unit (ECU) in Glasgow, accountable to Scottish Ministers.
The consultation asked whether this 50MW threshold should remain the same or be increased to either 100MW or 150MW, to allow more decisions on wind farms, solar farms and BESS (battery energy storage systems) to be taken locally.
Respondents included planning authorities, professional bodies, public sector organisations, the UK government, charities, community groups and individuals.
Major energy firms also provided their views, including some of the largest global renewable energy companies.
Of the 187 respondents to the threshold question, 120 (64%) selected the 150MW threshold option, while a further 13% (25 of 187) chose 100MW as the most appropriate threshold.
Most of these responses were from individuals and communities. Local planning authorities were also overwhelmingly in favour of increasing the threshold (17 out of 19 responses from planning authorities).
Around 22 per cent voted for the 50MW status quo, of whom about half were land agents or professionals in the property development sector.
Bob Hope, a member of Leitholm, Eccles and Birgham Community Council and chair of the South of Scotland Convention of Community Councils, commented: “This is a categoric vote for putting power back into local people’s hands.
“The current system is totally at odds with local democracy and leaves people who will be most affected by these vast developments totally powerless.
“The beautiful landscapes of the Scottish Borders are being irrevocably altered by the huge number of windfarms and BESS being built, with no end in sight.
“The vast majority of energy schemes are granted consent, often against the wishes of local people.
“The Scottish government talks a good talk about engaging with local communities but it is ploughing ahead with a strategy which is devastating the environment, nature and history of the Scottish Borders, at huge cost, without any evaluation of the full impact.”
Calum Kerr, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, publicly endorsed the need for more local powers in a blog post in May this year, stating: “Anything over 50MW currently bypasses local councils and goes straight to Scottish Ministers, and many developments are designed to sit just above that line.
“There is a Scottish Government consultation already underway on raising the threshold, which is welcome, but I want it to go further. Bigger projects should come back into local decision-making.”
Mr Kerr said that he would call for a Scottish national energy plan, with an independent review of how the current system is working, adding: “Decisions on planning, grid and cumulative impact are being made in isolation from each other. A proper plan could join them up.”
Between 2021 and 2024, approvals for wind farm applications have averaged 81 per cent.
The ECU has never refused permission for a BESS in Scotland. In England, all BESS applications are determined by the local authority.
Many of the individual and community respondents called for an immediate halt to energy applications over 50MW until a strategic plan for energy has been created.
This coincides with the demand of the 201 Community Councils in Scotland that have signed the unified statement on strategic energy planning.
The consultation responses and summary is available here.
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