Mixed reaction to Highland Council's rejection of Caley Thistle renewables project bid
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There has been a mixed reaction to Highland Council's rejection of a £3.4 million project by Caley Thistle – fans are worried while community council's are relieved.
Four community councils have expressed their relief that Highland Council has rejected Caley Thistle’s bid for a major renewables project near Fairways business park.
Slackbuie, Inshes and Milton of Leys, Lochardil and Drummond, and Holm Community Councils issued a joint statement saying that it is “encouraging” that a majority of councillors listened to their concerns.
But the ICT Supporters Trust said it “is very concerned about the implications of the decision by the Highland Council to reject the battery park planning application.”
The issue came to a vote yesterday with 30 councillors rejecting the proposal, 23 supporting it while three abstained after a lengthy debate that largely focussed on the issue of a lack of safety guidance – something that is not a planning issue.
The community councils put forward a number of arguments – some of which saw locals push back against – but they all were fundamentally against the loss of greenspace.
They said: “We are pleased that this important decision received the level of scrutiny and debate that it warranted.
“It was encouraging that a clear majority of our elected representatives followed the recommendation of the planning department and their own Inner Moray Firth Development Plan, and also took the time to listen to the legitimate concerns of the local communities they represent.
“We are not against Battery Energy Storage, but it does not belong on protected green space or in the heart of any community.”
However, the ICT Supporters Trust – a body that acts like a “bridge between the fans and the club” – thanked “all ICT fans for their support of the application” but were left fearing for Caley Thistle’s future.
“The ICT Supporters Trust is very concerned about the implications of the decision by the Highland Council to reject the Battery Park Planning Application,” the trust said in a statement.
“We will be seeking early discussions with the club Board to understand the implications of this for the future of the club, both in the immediate & longer term.
“We will work with the club in any way we can to assist it with any difficulties it faces due to the decision. We’d like to thank all ICT fans for their support of the application.
“The Supporters Trust is a bridge between the club and its supporters, operating independently of the club, and seeks to ensure that the issues fans have are recognised, and heard by the club.
“The greater the membership of the Supporters Trust, the greater the influence it can have on the club at a time when it’s clear that the coming weeks and months are going to be amongst the most crucial in the clubs history.
“Now, more than ever, it is important that the voices of Inverness Caledonian Thistles fans are heard.”
