A PROPOSED new wind farm near a Borders village would have turbines more than twice the height of Big Ben, it has emerged.

A planning application has been lodged with Scottish Borders Council for a nine turbine wind farm at Ditcher Law, near Oxton, approximately 8km north-west of Lauder.

The proposed development consists of turbines up to a maximum 200m tip height, and associated infrastructure including hard-standings, access roads, cabling, borrow pits, battery storage, substation and control buildings.

The height of the famous Big Ben London landmark is 96 metres.

The application has been submitted by Dunfermline-based E Power Limited with an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) included.

A previous application on the same site for 15 turbines at a height of 220 metres was submitted in 2020.

That application was opposed by Lauderdale Community Council, a spokesperson for which said at the time: “We are concerned about the visual impact of such large turbines on a prominent site adjacent to a key tourist gateway.

“We believe that this would have an adverse effect on historic and recreational sites in and around the town of Lauder.”

A total of 175 documents have been submitted to SBC planners in support of the latest application.

A report, from Inverness-based Atmos Consulting, states: “In 2018, E Power opened an office in Dunfermline and now has numerous Scottish projects at various stages of development.

“The applicant takes pride in their role in developing, constructing and operating projects that contribute towards creating a sustainable future and tackling climate change.

“They seek to promote sustainable energy development in the right place and are committed to achieving commercial success on their projects without compromising ethical or environmental standards.

“The applicant is committed to investing in the Scottish Borders through renewable energy projects, with the community benefits and additional outcomes that renewable energy development can bring (including construction and post construction employment).

“Once operational, the proposed development will generate approximately 192,527MWh per year based on an estimated capacity factor of 37 percent.

“This will displace an equivalent amount of fossil fuel generated electricity amounting to a reduction in the release of greenhouse gases equal to 33,508 tonnes per year or 5.2 million tonnes over the lifetime of the wind farm.”