APPROVAL has been granted to extend the lifespan of a Peeblesshire wind farm

Bowbeat on the Moorfoot Hills near Innerleithen was officially opened by former Energy Minister Brian Wilson in 2003.

It comprises 24 turbines with a blade tip height of 76m and existing planning conditions allow it to remain operational until August 2025.

RWE Renewables UK has submitted a screening request to Scottish Borders Council in relation to extending the permitted operational period for five years from 2025 until 2030.

A report with the submitted request states: “At the end of the proposed extended operational period of Bowbeat, another application may be submitted for consent to further extend its operational period or otherwise repower the scheme, otherwise it will be decommissioned.”

Members of the council’s Planning & Building Standards Committee rubber-stamped the five year extension when they met on Monday (September 9).

Tweeddale East councillor Marshall Douglas said: “What I would be concerned about, given the age of this wind farm and that it pre-dated community fund contributions, that they actually contribute to the local communities in which they are sited, to give something back.”

Members were informed that the developer would be encouraged to make a contribution.