SCOTTISH Borders Council (SBC) has objected to a bid to rebuild power lines in Coldstream after a heritage group raised concerns over its impact on prehistoric settlements.
Scottish Power submitted an application to SBC to rebuild existing overhead power lines on land east of Lochton Farm at Birgham to land west of Coldstream Holiday Park.
Historic Environment Scotland (HES) objected to the application as a result of the impact on two scheduled monuments – Homebank and Cottage Hospital.
Both survive as a buried features visible as cropmarks on some aerial photographs.
A HES spokesperson said: “These proposals do not meet National Planning Policy (NPF4 Policy 7(h)) which states that development proposals affecting scheduled monuments will only be supported where direct impacts on the scheduled monument are avoided. We are not aware of any exceptional circumstances.”
The ultimate say on the application rests with the Government’s Energy Consents Unit.
