Renewable planning › Solar › Scottish Borders
Solar planning in Scottish Borders
Scottish Borders has decided 13 solar farms and approved 100% of them, taking a median of 1.8 months to decide. Consented capacity: 21 MW.
How Scottish Borders compares
Against the 298 UK authorities with 5+ solar decisions, Scottish Borders sits in the 77th percentile for approval rate (7 points above the England average) and the 74th percentile for speed.
Decisions by year
Solar decisions by the year the decision was issued (Renewable Energy Planning Database). Withdrawn and still-undecided applications are excluded, so a short bar can mean a quiet year rather than a strict council.
Every recorded scheme (13)
| Scheme | MW | Status | Decided |
|---|---|---|---|
Borders General Hospital - Solar Photovoltaic Array NHS Borders Health Board · 24/00821/FUL · 4.7 mo to decide | 0.68 | Awaiting Construction | 2024-12-06 |
Lochcarron Waverley Mill, Rodgers Road - Solar Panels Lochcarron of Scotland · 24/00598/FUL · 1.9 mo to decide | 0.16 | Awaiting Construction | 2024-07-17 |
Howpark Solar Farm Eurowind (UK) Limited · 23/01761/FUL · 7.8 mo to decide | 15 | Awaiting Construction | 2024-07-17 |
Eyemouth Freezers, Toll Bridge Road - Solar Panels Eyemouth Freezers Limited · 24/00208/FUL · 1.2 mo to decide | 1.2 | Awaiting Construction | 2024-04-04 |
Fish Yard Burgons Limited, Harbour Road - Solar Panels DR Collin And Son Limited · 23/01842/FUL · 1.8 mo to decide | 0.18 | Awaiting Construction | 2024-01-31 |
Water Treatment Works, Howden Wells - Solar Photovoltaic System Scottish Water · 23/01119/CLPU · 1.7 mo to decide | 1.14 | Awaiting Construction | 2023-09-29 |
Roberton Water Treatment Works - Solar Array Scottish Water National Operations Control Centre · 23/00474/CLPU · 2.8 mo to decide | 0.24 | Awaiting Construction | 2023-06-23 |
Works Kenneth Forbes, Lee Forbes Way - Solar Array Forbes Plastics Limited · 23/00590/FUL · 1.6 mo to decide | 0.46 | Awaiting Construction | 2023-06-02 |
Kelso High School, Angraflat Road - Solar Panels Scottish Borders Council · 23/00605/FUL · 1.4 mo to decide | — | Awaiting Construction | 2023-06-02 |
Nether Blainslie Sawmill, Nether Blainslie - Solar PV Array H. S. Riddell Timber Merchants · 23/00457/FUL · 1.7 mo to decide | 0.2 | Awaiting Construction | 2023-05-12 |
Drysdale Vegetable Growers, Old Cambus - Solar PV Panels R & K Drysdale Limited · 22/01234/FUL · 0.8 mo to decide | 0.8 | Awaiting Construction | 2022-09-02 |
Plexus Lee, Forbes Way - Solar Panels Plexus Uk · 22/00814/FUL · 1.8 mo to decide | 0.51 | Awaiting Construction | 2022-08-24 |
Burnfoot Industrial Estate - Solar Panels Ylem Energy Limited · 22/00806/FUL · 1.8 mo to decide | 0.48 | Awaiting Construction | 2022-07-12 |
Does Scottish Borders approve solar farms?
Yes — of the 13 solar farms Scottish Borders has decided, 100% were approved (13 granted, 0 refused). The UK-wide rate for solar is 93%.
How long does a solar farm application take in Scottish Borders?
The median time from application to decision is 1.8 months, against a UK median of 2.3 months for solar. That is measured between the submission and decision dates recorded in REPD, so it reflects the whole determination period including any extensions.
How much solar capacity has Scottish Borders consented?
21 MW has been consented across 13 approved schemes. There are no applications currently awaiting a decision.
Other technologies in Scottish Borders
Source: Renewable Energy Planning Database (REPD), Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Open Government Licence v3.0 — 2026 Q1 extract. Approval rate is over decided applications only (approved ÷ approved+refused); withdrawn and undecided schemes are excluded. A permission later expired still counts as approved because consent was granted. REPD covers schemes of roughly 150 kW and above, is published quarterly, and does not record refusal reasons — so nothing here explains why a scheme was refused. Screening context for site selection, not planning advice.
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