4 community councils representing 13,700 Inverness residents combine to oppose Caley Thistle's controversial battery storage plan
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Four community councils representing 13,700 Inverness residents are clubbing together to oppose Inverness Caledonian Thistle’s controversial battery storage plan.
At a supporters’ meeting on Wednesday evening, officials from the Scottish Championship club revealed the energy storage scheme, if approved, would secure its future by generating £3.4 million from sale.
The £40 million project on a 1.7 hectare green field site would see containers storing up to 50 MW of electricity at Fairways Business Park.
Despite an initial Highland Council south planning committee vote of 3-2 to approve, the plan was thrown into doubt after councillors moved last month to have it reconsidered by the full council next week.
The football club’s outraged chairman Ross Morrison then accused councillors of being “hellbent on killing the club”.
The proposal has been opposed by some local residents over safety concerns and the loss of green space.
An assortment of 30 councillors from across all the main political parties have backed the call for a fresh vote.
Now Slackbuie, Inshes & Milton of Leys, Lochardil & Drummond and Holm community councils have produced a presentation outlining the case against as they see it.
It has been shared with Highland councillors who will vote on the battery storage plant on March 14.
A spokesman for the community councils said: “We have urged them to accurately represent their constituents on this issue.
“We are unified in our objection to the planning application for an industrial battery energy storage scheme (BESS) on the Fairways site.”
The five main reasons for opposition were given as:
• The proposed site is protected open green space as per the council's approved Inner Moray Firth Local Development Plan 2 (IMFLDP2).
• The Scottish Government Reporter approved IMFLDP2 and has explicitly protected this space.
• The loss of green space is unjustifiable using (Scottish Government National Planning Framework 4 (NFP4 policy 8).
• The BESS site guidelines from the National Fire Chiefs’ Council make it irrefutably clear that this steep site and planning application for an industrial chemical energy storage site has multiple unresolvable safety issues.
• Lithium BESS is hazardous heavy industry and is a high risk to the local communities because of the close proximity to housing, schools, offices and retail.
The community councils’ spokesman added: “The financial sustainability of any organisation should rely on it having sound business models, not attempting to compromise planning approval processes.
“Contrary to multiple statements made… the land is not owned by Inverness Caledonian Thistle Football Club.
“According to the Land Register of Scotland, the sole proprietor of the land is Fairways Inverness Limited.
“The many layers of implied ownership, overlapping directorships and interested parties seems intentionally opaque.
“In addition, the applicant emphasises that the ICT Community Trust is a main beneficiary, but fails to explain how ‘the financial benefits accrued from the development will be managed through the ICTFC Community Development Trust’.
“Moreover, public statements from the applicant suggest that their primary concern is addressing the football club's debts.
“Regardless of this planning application, the ICT Development Trust’s publicly available financial accounts show it has been, and will continue to be, a valuable, well run and self-funded charity with healthy reserves.
“Indeed, the Trust has issued five figure grants and donations to Inverness Caledonian Thistle Football Club several times in the last few years.
“The Football Club does not financially prop up the Trust. If anything, the opposite would appear to be the case.”
The community council also note that there is currently a bill progressing through the House of Commons to change the classification of battery energy storage schemes from industrial to “hazardous”.
A second reading of the bill is scheduled for March 24.
The spokesman added: “This direction of movement would indicate that the applicant’s assertion that BESS can be viewed as commercial rather than industrial is questionable.
“We have urged our elected representatives to take the time to read the presentation including the clickable links provided within and to support their local communities by upholding their planning department’s recommendation to refuse this application.
“We sincerely hope that our councillors chose to listen to the voters who put their faith in them and elected them as their representatives.”
A community council petition has been launched against the battery storage plan.
