Council rejects Beauly battery storage scheme after dozens of objections including from Lord Lovat
Whirlwind Energy Storage and Caulternich Farm have failed in a second attempt to create a large battery storage facility just outside Beauly following dozens of objections from locals.
Among those against the plan were Lord Lovat’s estate and Highland-based writer Kapka Kassabova who both said the siting of the 36 energy storage modules in an agricultural field between Kilmorack and Broallan was totally inappropriate.
The proposed battery storage scheme was rejected back in 2022 and was brought back with a reduced footprint – eight per cent smaller – and more landscaping but that failed to appease the 43 objectors.
During the debate there was a minor controversy when officials reported that Kilmorack Community Council did not object – Councillors Chris Ballance and David Fraser both said they believed the community council sought to object.
The official said that they did not specifically say so and that the community council had to itemise what it objected to so it was not formally taken as an objection which the official said “was my interpretation of that”.
The smaller size of the plans also failed to convince the local members – Cllrs Fraser and Ballance – who felt the location for the project was not appropriate and led to them tabling a motion to reject the plan.
The motion acknowledged that national planning policy encourages battery farms but this “industrial development” would have a “significant detrimental effect on landscape and visual impact” in “a rural setting on open agricultural land”.
It is the latest development in that area to raise the backs of local residents who are concerned about the wave of developments descending on the Highlands with little to no control over the developments close to home.
So those concerned about some of the renewables developments in the Highlands will perhaps see this as a victory for their campaign as Cllr Fraser found that the proposals were contrary to a number of planning policies.
In the debate Cllr Fraser specifically cited the Planning Policy Appraisal and Conclusion that “The decision on this resubmitted proposal should turn upon whether the additional site selection justification and mitigation are sufficient to overcome the previous reasons for refusal and the implications of the now adopted National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4).”
He said: “The additional site selection justification, still implies that the selection has been driven by landownership issues rather than technical or environmental constraint considerations.
“However, closer to the Wester Balblair substation sites may be available and haven’t been evidenced as unavailable and/or subject to insurmountable technical or environmental constraints.
“The NPF4 requirement to achieve net biodiversity gain is not met.”
He added: “This application is proposing to introduce an industrial use into an area of open, farmed, countryside some distance from any energy source, major user or substation. So it doesn’t comply with that guidance.
“In my opinion whilst the development has been lowered, that does nothing to hide the development from the various houses that look down on the site and it remains very visible from the road. In summary, it remains an industrial development within an agricultural setting and does not comply with policies 67, 28, 29 & 41”.
