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Barrel Law Wind Farm
News Update February 2021
Planning permission for the site was refused by the DPEA in December 2019. Following detailed consideration of the potential next steps, it has been decided that no further work will be carried out on this project.
News Update 2 December 2019
The appeal was heard in August 2019 by the appointed Reporter on behalf of the DPEA. Closing submissions have been made by all parties and we await a decision.
Planning Permission Appeal Submitted
News Update 6 November 2018
On 2 November 2018 ABO Wind submitted an appeal to the Planning and Environmental Appeals Division (DPEA) of the Scottish Government against the refusal of planning permission for our Barrel Law Wind Farm proposal. The planning application was refused by Scottish Border Council's Planning and Building Standards Committee on 3 September 2018, against the recommendation of the Council's Chief Planning Officer to approve the application.
The planning application complied with all relevant technical and planning requirements and did not have any objections from statutory agencies, including the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, Historic Environment Scotland and Ministry of Defence. The application was refused on the grounds of landscape and visual impact, though neither Scottish Natural Heritage - the Scottish Government's landscape advisor - nor the Council's own landscape advisor, recommended an objection. The development site is located within an area identified by the Council’s Local Development Plan as having the "Highest Capacity" for a wind turbine development.
The appeal has been registered and assigned the reference number PPA-140-2072. The appeal documents can be viewed on DPEA's website at www.dpea.scotland.gov.uk, using the reference number in the 'Search Appeals' box.
Barrel Law Wind Farm Planning Decision
News Update 11 September 2018
The Barrel Law Wind Farm planning application was refused planning permission by Scottish Borders Council at the 3rd September 2018 meeting of its Planning and Building Standards Committee.
The Council’s decision to refuse the application was disappointing as the site is located well outside the area being discussed for a proposed Borders National Park, has good wind resource, a readily available electricity grid connection, proven turbine delivery route and is relatively isolated. It is also located in an area identified in the Council’s adopted renewable energy supplementary guidance as having the "Highest Capacity" for wind turbine development. In addition, it was presented to the Committee with no objections from statutory consultees and it was recommended for approval by the Council’s Chief Planning Officer.
ABO Wind will now review in detail the reasons for refusal of the planning application before considering the next step.
Planning Application Submitted for Barrel Law Wind Farm
News Update 14 September 2017
ABO Wind, on behalf of Barrel Law Windfarm Ltd, has submitted a planning application to Scottish Borders Council for the proposed Barrel Law Wind Farm.
The development site, where a scheme for seven turbines is being proposed, is located approximately 7km south west of Ashkirk, 3.5km north-west of Roberton, 9km west of Hawick and lies 2km south of the operational Langhope Rig Wind Farm.
The outcome of the Environmental Impact Assessment work has helped shape the design of our proposed wind farm and has been presented in an Environmental Statement along with the planning application. Submission of the planning application follows a programme of pre-application consultation by ABO Wind with a wide range of stakeholders, including a public exhibition of the proposals at Roberton in March 2017. There will now be a further period of consultation, managed by Scottish Borders Council, when interested parties will be encouraged to register their views on the planning application.
Once our planning application has been registered by Scottish Borders Council, hard copies of the planning application and Environmental Statement will be available for the public to view in the following locations: Scottish Borders Council Headquarters, Hawick Library and Selkirk Library. In addition, copies will be distributed to the Community Councils of Lilliesleaf Ashkirk & Middlem; Upper Teviotdale & Borthwick Water; Ettrick & Yarrow; and Hawick
Should you wish to make any formal representation to Scottish Borders Council regarding the proposal, this should be directed in writing to Scottish Borders Council Planning Department or on the Council's e-Planning website.
The Non-Technical Summary of the Environmental Statement is available to download from our website using the link below. The full Environmental Statement can be purchased from us on CD for £25 or in hard copy for £975, please contact us should you wish one of these. Alternatively, the Environmental Statement and planning application documents will be available for download from Scottish Border Council's e-Planning website (reference number 17/01255/FUL).
Click here to download Barrel Law Non-Technical Summary
For further information, please contact Clark Crosbie, Head of Development, ABO Wind UK Ltd, Willow House, Kestrel View, Strathclyde Business Park, Bellshill, ML4 3PB. T: 0800 066 5631 E:barrellawwindfarm(at)abo-wind.com
A formal consultation period will take place once the planning application has been registered by Scottish Borders Council, when members of the public and other organisations, will have the opportunity to make their formal representations on the application to the Planning Authority.
Barrel Law Wind Farm Public Exhibition
News Update 24 March 2017
Thank you to everyone who attended our recent public exhibitions for the proposed Barrel Law Wind Farm, held on the 23rd of March in Roberton. We appreciate people taking the time to find out more about our proposed development and for providing us with feedback.
A copy of the information panels and visualisation panels from this exhibition can be downloaded from the links below.
Information Panels Link
A7 Layby Visualisation Link
Ogilvie Cairn Visualisation Link
Zone of Theoretical Visibility (ZTV) Link
Viewpoint Wirelines Link
The information above is provided on the basis of an initial design, and may be subject to change prior to submission of a planning application. Representations to ABO Wind on the proposed Barrel Law Wind Farm should be made in writing by 31st March 2017 using the contact details below.
ABO Wind UK Ltd, 1 Houstoun Interchange, Livingston, EH54 5DW
T: 0800 066 5631
E:barrellawwindfarm(at)abo-wind.com
Barrel Law Wind Farm Proposal and Upcoming Public Exhibition
News Update 22 February 2017
Barrel Law Wind Farm Proposal
We are in the process of preparing a revised proposal for Barrel Law Wind Farm, north-west of Hawick. The proposal site is approximately 2 km south of the operational Langhope Rig Wind Farm.
The Barrel Law site is highly suited to accommodate a wind farm due to its high wind speeds and few environmental sensitivities. The site is located in an area identified as having the Highest Capacity for wind farm developments in the Scottish Borders Council’s draft renewable energy supplementary guidance, and is located well outside the area being discussed for a proposed Borders National Park. The site has a readily available electricity grid connection, proven turbine delivery route and is relatively isolated, with only 15 homes within 3km of the proposed wind turbines.
We have started the process of developing the revised design, which differs from the Barrel Law Wind Farm proposal we submitted to Scottish Borders Council five years ago. The revised design will take into account all the reasons for refusal of the 2012 Barrel Law Wind Farm planning application. The key differences include reducing the number of turbines from eight to seven and moving the turbine cluster further north towards Langhope Rig Wind Farm, further from the Ale Water and the Ashkirk to Roberton Road.
We have commissioned technical and environmental professionals to evaluate potential environmental impacts of the proposal, to inform the detailed design of the wind farm. Following initial study results, we will be holding a public exhibition to display the wind farm design.
Barrel Law Wind Farm Public Exhibition
We would like to invite all interested parties to attend our upcoming public exhibition. If you are interested in the proposal, but unable to attend the public exhibition, please note the information panels and visualisation panels used for the public exhibition will be uploaded to this website following the exhibition. Alternatively you can get in contact with a member of the ABO Wind team for more details.
The public exhibition will be held as follows:
Thursday 23 March 2017
Forman Memorial Hall
Roberton
Hawick, TD9 7LX
From 1pm until 8pm
For further information about the Barrel Law Wind Farm proposal, please email barrellawwindfarm(at)abo-wind.com, or call 0800 066 5631.
