In a letter to Scott Wilson Scotland Limited, the community council has urged the engineering firm to consider laying underground cables to carry electricity from the windfarm, which could be constructed south of Penicuik, to the sub-station at Burdiehouse.

Community council vice-chairman Bruce Hogg said the scoping report received gave information on what the applicant is intending to apply for and what supporting information will accompany the application.

"The thing we felt should be in the report is that they should clarify exactly why they have chosen not to take an underground route. There is nothing in the scoping report which merely assumes it is an overhead line.

"We also want clarification on the nature of the poles they would be putting in. They refer to wooden trident poles and a search of the internet says they are wooden poles with three supports. They are pretty big but no way near as big as metal pylons, which is what we envisaged it to be," said Mr Hogg.

The vice-chairman added: "We want an explanation why they are not going underground. We hope it is more than simply cheaper to do it the other way and an explanation of the nature of the poles. Presumably there will be a written application submitted in due course which would could object to at some future date."

Chairman Pat Kenny noted that the proposed route would only affect the Loanhead Community Council area as it crossed Straiton to Burdiehouse. "If it can go underground, it should go underground; it is a scenic area," he added.

Mr Hogg added that details of the proposed electricity route were now being mooted as the proposed windfarm would be considered in the coming weeks.