Public hearing set to go ahead for divisive wind farm

A public inquiry into plans for a new wind farm on the historic Lammermuir Hills is set to go ahead in March.

Scottish Ministers are moving forward with the hearing over the plans for the Newland Hill Wind Energy Hub, outside Gifford, in East Lothian, after the council objected to the plans two years ago.

Belltown Power UK, who are behind the proposals have already revised their plans to reduce the number of turbines, which will be up to 200 metres tall, from 17 to 15.

They have also redesigned the layout on the site to reduce the visibility of the giant turbines.

In September 2024 at a meeting of East Lothian Council’s planning committee elected members voted to lodge a formal objection to the plans, which will be decided by the Scottish Government’s Energy Consent Unit after declaring ‘enough is enough’.

Council leader Norman Hampshire hit back at the number of wind farm proposals being put forward for the East Lothian countryside which has been seen as a prime spot for renewables for decades.

Councillor Hampshire said at the time: “It feels to people in East Lothian that we are being asked to take much more than other areas across Scotland.

“There is a limit to how much our landscape can take or it will be destroyed completely. You can’t have the whole of East Lothian covered in wind turbines.”

Nearly 400 documents relating to the application have now been uploaded on to the Scottish Government’s DPEA appeal site including an update from Belltown stating they have been given an offer which could provide them with a connection to the National Grid in April 2030 and are keen to have the issues resolved quickly.

The Reporter’s office indicated that the intention is to begin the hearing in March.