Tuesday September 29th 2026
A golden eagle in the Scottish Borders
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Paul Kelly
A proposed wind farm with blade heights twice the height of London’s Big Ben poses a risk to the Scottish Borders Golden Eagle population, councillors will be told next week.
When members of the council’s Planning and Building Standards Committee meet on Monday, October 5, they will be recommended to raise a formal objection to the construction and operation of a wind farm comprising up to 13 turbines each with tips up to a maximum of 200m on land to the north of Glentress Forest in Innerleithen.
Leithenwater Wind Energy Hub is earmarked for a tract of forestry and moorland located on elevated ground above the Tweed Valley on the western edge of the Moorfoot Hills.
As the relevant local authority, Scottish Borders Council (SBC) is a consultee on the application with the final decision resting with the Scottish Government’s Energy Consents Unit.
But if the objection is upheld next week it will mean a public local inquiry on the application would need to be held.
A report to members highlights several conservation concerns regarding the application.
The Leithen Water, which forms part of the River Tweed Special Area of Conservation (SAC), runs along part of the eastern side of the site.
Bowbeat Wind Farm, constructed in 2002, lies to the north and its access runs along the northeastern boundary of this site.
Glentress mountain bike trail centre has been developed to the southwest along with the associated holiday lodge development.
The report states that there was “insufficient information” to confirm that the development would not adversely affect Golden Eagles, particularly juvenile eagles.
The report continues: “The development is located in a highly sensitive location towards the edge of an upland mass which is closely associated with designated landscape.
“The proposal would erode the natural character of the Tweed Valley uplands which will be experienced from a number of sensitive locations.
“The wind farm would appear visually overbearing and dominant from the Tweed Valley SLA and Tweedsmuir Uplands NSA, harming the setting and special qualities of these unique and highly valued lands.”
The report recommends that unless turbines are deleted and tip heights are reduced, a wind farm of this scale “cannot be accommodated in this sensitive location without causing unacceptable landscape and visual impacts”.
It adds: “Failure to account for the potential collision risk for juvenile golden eagles is a shortcoming of the proposal.
“While it has not be assessed that the proposal will pose significantly adverse effects on golden eagle populations as a whole, the potential adverse effects on juvenile populations would clearly have a detrimental effect on the future expansion of golden eagles and even their presence within this area in years to come.”
Tweet Share on FacebookNews
