Locals dismissed

Having been brought up in Liberton in Edinburgh and lived in various locations in the city, I moved to the Borders 25 years ago.

As an outdoor person from a very early age I have always had an appreciation of the beauty of my surroundings, so it was with a sense of rage I read the report on windfarms in the borders (“Borderers fear wind farms are ‘engulfing’ their communities”, 1 March). It is now the norm when an application is made for a wind farm that the locals generally protest, the local community councils protest and on occasion, Scottish Borders Council (SBC) do likewise. This should, in a normal democratic society, be more than sufficient to stop – or certainly downgrade – the planned farm.

However, living in a nation run by a secretive government which cannot even spell “democracy”, which will follow its own agenda and to hell with everyone else, these proposals are almost always approved. The article states: “SBC planning committee will consider its response to the application at a meeting next week, but is being advised to offer no objection.”

Who is doing this advising, I wonder? Could it be the green-tailed dog in Holyrood? Perhaps we should lobby one of the companies to submit plans for Arthur’s Seat and the Crags, a perfect place for them as the wind always seems to blow there.

The Borders are a beautiful part of Scotland, still a pretty well-hidden gem, and are already awash with these 200m high monstrosities. Enough is enough unless, of course, the cities and surrounding areas take their share.

Pentland Hills, anyone?

David Millar Lauder, Scottish Borders