Longforgan residents have raised a number of issues with plans for a battery energy storage system including the risk of a fire at the unmanned site next to a railway line.
Sunshine Project 01 Limited has submitted a proposal of application notice to erect a 50MW battery energy storage system on land near Monorgan Farm.
The company’s director said they are reviewing the scheme and addressing locals’ concerns and are happy to continue holding consultation events.
Two consultation events were held this month at Longforgan Bowling Club after an initial public consultation event in November was held in Errol – much to the confusion of Longforgan residents.
A second planning consultation meeting – scheduled to take place on December 14 – also at Errol Village Hall did not take place due to unforeseen circumstances. Two subsequents events were held in Longforgan in January – closer to the application site.
Longforgan resident Linsey Morgans attended the latest public consultation event and said there was “a large amount of concern from the local residents” particularly about fire safety.
Linsey said: “Serious concerns for fire safety – as proven in the past three years to exploding batteries in Perth itself – which have affected the main transport artery and Friarton Bridge.
“This is to be an unmanned site. Who would raise the alarm should a fire break out?”
Linsey added: “Nobody has a crystal ball regarding this matter, and that the UK must move forward with renewable energies, etc planning for the future. However if an accident were to happen, it will be too late to say, ‘if only’.
“The proposed should be within an area that has excellent access, and is capable of taking the construction traffic, etc.
“Our village is a rural one and we believe that this proposed project would be detrimental to the area and only add to the benefits of Dundee City.”
Other concerns raised by residents include:
– the length of time it could take to decommission the facility due to the lifespan of the batteries themselves
– access to the site is via weight-restricted bridges and railway lines and along rural routes used for cycling and horse riding
– the site is on agricultural land
– the impact on the neighbouring beaver population
– potential leakage from batteries into two burns that flow into the River Tay
– noise
– increased traffic.
Carse of Gowrie ward councillors Angus Forbes and Alasdair Bailey have been contacted by several local residents worried about the proposals.
Conservative councillor Angus Forbes said: “I have had a considerable number of residents contact me with concerns about this project. What we must remember at this stage is that this is simply a pre-application notice which advises the council and the community that an application may be submitted. It does not mean that an application will be forthcoming.
“However – that said – it’s clear that a large number of local residents have concerns about the potential impact in both the construction and maintenance phases of this project.
“The complaints that I have had are generally about the way this has been handled. For example, the company behind this project held an initial public consultation in Errol rather than in Longforgan and the second consultation didn’t go ahead at all.
“They have now held two consultation sessions in Longforgan, I attended them both to meet the developer and the local people who come along.
“Should a planning application be forthcoming, then I have committed to holding a public meeting to gauge the community views and decide on the best way forward. “
Labour councillor Alasdair Bailey added: “I was initially surprised that the developer would run their consultation events so far from the site. If the developer really wanted to consult with the residents of Longforgan then why not run the events in Longforgan?”
Bailie Bailey was “reassured” consultation events were eventually held in Longforgan and pledged to be “looking at the detail if a detailed planning application comes forward”.
When the pre-application notice was presented to the council’s Planning and Placemaking Committee on January 8, Carse of Gowrie SNP councillor Ken Harvey highlighted the “fairly narrow access roads and an already notable problem on roads around the Carse”.
First Minister John Swinney represents Perthshire North.
Mr Swinney said: “I note the concerns of my constituents and appreciate the points they have raised with me.
“Local planning applications are determined by Perth and Kinross Council, and I encourage those with views on this project to engage in the planning process if it moves forward.”
Sunshine Project 01 Ltd’s director Philip John has pledged to address the concerns raised during the consultation process.
He said: “We held some public consultations in a village hall and in a bowling club on a potential battery development. We held an event at Errol to get feedback. Multiple subsequent events were held at Longforgan based on feedback from the community that they would prefer it held there. We have been holding public consultations to understand the local concerns with a view to updating designs to accommodate local concerns rather than impose a scheme.
“We’re happy to continue holding public consultation events if people would like us to, but we’ve had a healthy turnout attending the events who have been leaving feedback forms and raising issues. We’re reviewing the scheme to address local concerns and then we may look to submit a planning application.
“Unlike a house, it takes a short period to decommission a project – it’s a temporary structure consisting of a series of shipping containers with batteries inside it.
“We will ensure that the appropriate designs and planning studies are submitted to the council.”