Scottish Lord WINS battle to stop battery storage units being built

A council has rejected a bid to install a battery storage unit after objections from locals and Lord Lovat.

Highland Council's planning committee gathered yesterday to hear the proposal to install 36 energy storage modules on farmland by Beauly, near Inverness, that would cover the space of around two tennis courts.

The applicants said it would be 'used to store excess electricity from the national grid and then release the energy in periods of high demand'.

But the committee decided that the construction would have 'a significant detrimental effect on the landscape and visual impacts'.

The storage unit had already been refused once on similar grounds but the amendments weren't enough to 'mitigate' these concerns.

The South Planning Application Committee yesterday said: 'This is due to it being an industrial development on an open field on a rural hillside characterised by open farmland.'

Although 'it fails to demonstrate sensitive siting and high-quality design in keeping with the local character of the area', the applicant could still appeal this decision.

Whirlwind Energy Storage Ltd, which is based in Yorkshire, is an independent green energy company.

Simon Fraser, who is chief of the Clan Fraser of Lovat, had objected to the plans on the grounds that it 'breaches Highland Council Policy designed to protect our neighbourhood, landscape and residential amenity'.

However, Lord Lovat was 'open to a conversation' about the 'sensible relocation' of the units.

The award-winning author, Kapka Kassabova, was also opposed to the proposals and said the refusal was a 'wise decision by the Highland Council and it will be welcomed by the community'.

The writer of the books Border, Elixir and Anima said she looked forward 'to more such decisions when it comes to the next wave of environmentally destructive proposals for our area from big energy companies'.

She added: 'The future of our area and wider Highland region depends on the recognition that nature, people and genuinely sustainable, green projects in scale with the land are where our security lies.'

A spokesman for the council said: 'The Motion to refuse the application by Cllr David Fraser seconded by Cllr Chris Balance was passed by the committee and therefore the application was refused.'

Councillor David Fraser, who motioned for the application to be refused, said the projects need to take in to consideration 'factors such as community amenity, biodiversity, landscape and visual matters, heritage, and infrastructure, to name but a few'.

He added: 'In my opinion this development fails to do that.

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Cllr Chris Balance said that he 'absolutely recognised the need for battery storage but it has to be in the right place'.

The proposal received over 40 complaints and locals were 'over the moon' about its refusal.

Donna Peacock, a lab technician based in Inverness, said as a community they feel 'overwhelmed' with 'more plans coming in thick and fast'.

She added: 'We struggle against the force of massive, endlessly funded big energy companies' and are just 'trying to keep our gorgeous location from total industrialisation', she said.

Whirlwind Energy Storage Ltd have been contacted for their response.