South Scotland MSP Colin Smyth has urged Community Windpower to drop plans to develop the Faw Side wind farm near Langholm.

The call comes after the proposals to build 45 turbines along the A7 between Langholm in Dumfries and Galloway and Teviothead in the Scottish Borders were recently rejected by the Scottish Government due to the plans “significant” landscape and visual impact.

Concerns had also been raised by the Ministry of Defence on the impact on the nearby Eskdalemuir Seismic Array. As well as widespread community objections, including from South Scotland MSP Colin Smyth, both Scottish Borders Council and Dumfries and Galloway Council had formally objected to the plans.

The company have said they will now review the “report and decision” but Colin Smyth is urging the firm not to seek to challenge the decision legally or bring back similar proposals.

Colin Smyth said: “Onshore wind obviously remains crucial to the Government in meeting their climate targets and reducing emissions, and it’s also one of the cheapest forms of energy production.

“But that doesn’t mean there should be a free for all when it comes to where wind farms are located.

“The Fawside proposal was opposed by both Scottish Borders and Dumfries and Galloway Councils, it had significant public opposition and ultimately after a public inquiry, the Scottish Government rejected the plans for very valid reasons.

“This was absolutely the wrong development in the wrong place and would have had a very significant adverse visual impact in what is a regional scenic area. There were also real fears over effect on the Eskdalemuir Seismological Recording Station.

“One of my main concerns is the cumulative impact of so many windfarms in the area. Communities are happy to take their fair share of developments but at times people in the area feel under attack because there has been one windfarm after another.

“Where the visual impact isn’t as bad as the one that would have been created by Fawside, I think communities in general may be more tolerant of developments in their area if they saw more direct benefits. We know that none of the wind turbines that would be part of this- or indeed any other development – will have been manufactured in Scotland- and very few of the jobs created by Fawside would have been anywhere near the turbines themselves.

“Many of the people living near the proposed developed are in rural communities with the highest levels of fuel poverty.

“There’s something quite perverse that we would have had a development providing energy for 325,000 homes- and the houses right next to it wouldn’t see any reductions in their energy bills but Community Windpower would have made millions.

“Obviously it has to be the right development in the right place but we also need to ensure there is far more direct benefits to the  communities who have windfarms on their doorsteps or the Government will face more opposition as they try to meet their target to double onshore windpower.

“In the meantime, I hope Community Windpower don’t try to overturn this very clear decision or bring it back in a different form but move on.”