The Planning and Building Standards Committee of Scottish Borders Council met on Monday 10 August 2026 to consider a range of planning applications and appeals. Key decisions included the approval of a wind farm repowering project, the refusal of a holiday lodge park development due to its isolated location and environmental impacts, and the approval of a small touring caravan site. The committee also noted appeal decisions and outstanding review requests.

Crystal Rig Wind Farm Repowering Project Approved

The committee agreed not to object to the proposed construction and operation of a repowered Crystal Rig I wind farm. The project involves replacing existing turbines with up to 10 new wind turbines, each with a maximum height of 200 metres to the blade tip. The development will have a generating capacity of 72MW and an operational period of 35 years. Numerous conditions were attached to the approval, covering aspects such as the duration of consent, commencement of development, design of turbines and associated infrastructure, environmental management, construction hours, traffic management, and operational noise limits. The decision acknowledged the significant contribution the project would make to renewable energy targets and greenhouse gas emission reductions, while also addressing potential landscape and visual impacts through specific conditions and design considerations.

Holiday Lodge Park Development Refused

The application for a holiday lodge park development, comprising 40 lodges, an office/reception building, and associated infrastructure on land west of Earlshaugh Farm, Jedburgh, was refused. The committee cited several reasons for refusal, including:

• Unsustainable Location and Transport Dependency: The isolated countryside location, lacking services, amenities, and active travel options, was deemed unsuitable for a new caravan park. This would lead to a high dependency on private vehicles, increasing carbon emissions, and contravening policies on sustainability and transport.
• Out-of-Character Development and Environmental Impacts: The siting and design of the proposed development were considered out-of-character and detrimental to the amenity of the site and its surroundings. Adverse landscape and visual impacts on the physical fabric of the site, the Teviot Valleys Special Landscape Area, and surrounding landscape character types were deemed unacceptable.
• Impact on Special Landscape Area: The proposals were found to have a significant adverse impact on the Teviot Valleys Special Landscape Area, which was not outweighed by social, environmental, or economic benefits of national or local importance.

Touring Caravan Pitches Approved

Permission was granted for a change of use of land north and east of School House, Makerstoun, Kelso, to create pitches for 5 touring caravans, along with improvements to the existing access track and a new gateway. The development was approved subject to several conditions, including restrictions on occupancy to short-term holiday use only, the provision of an operational management plan, and details regarding landscape, ecological enhancements, foul drainage, and waste management. Informative notes were also provided regarding protected species and building regulations. The decision acknowledged the potential economic benefits to the local area and considered the modest scale of the development to be compatible with the rural location and surrounding amenities.

Appeals and Reviews Noted

The committee noted the decisions on several appeals and reviews:

• Appeal Allowed: The demolition of a former bakery at Store 2nd, 11 Bourtree Terrace, Hawick, was allowed subject to conditions, with the reporter finding the building made a limited contribution to the conservation area's character.
• Appeal Dismissed: An appeal against an enforcement notice for the erection of a CCTV camera at Sapphire House, Crown Lane, Jedburgh, was dismissed, requiring the camera's removal.
• Reviews Determined: Decisions were upheld in several cases, including the erection of a dwellinghouse at Land East of Roundel, Station Road, Gordon; agricultural storage at Land to the South, Thistle Garden, Howpark, Grantshouse; a replacement dwellinghouse at Slitrig Cottage, Langburnshiels, Hawick; erection of two dwellinghouses at Land North of Hareheugh View, Hume; and erection of a dwellinghouse at Land West of Nenthorn House, Nenthorn.
• Reviews Overturned: Decisions were overturned, subject to conditions, for the erection of a boundary fence at Thorniedean House, 10 Melrose Road, Galashiels; the erection of a dwellinghouse at Land at Hassendean Station, Minto, Hawick; and the erection of a dwellinghouse and formation of a new access at Land North of Burnbrae Farm Cottages, Nenthorn, Kelso.

Four review requests remained outstanding at the time of the meeting, relating to sites at Barn West of Oakwood House, Allanton; Barn Southwest of Kirndean Farmhouse, Kirndean Farm, Newcastleton; Land West of Greenhouse Farm Cottage, Melrose; and Land North and North East of Belses Cottage, Jedburgh.