IRRITATED residents living next to a battery storage site have branded the local facility a 'nightmare' as it causes chaos on a daily basis. Kilmarnock locals have hit out at the noise and disruption caused by construction work at a battery energy storage system (BESS) next to their countryside homes . 5 Locals complain that the noise from the site is "horrendous" 5 Up to four battery storage sites are planned in Ayrshire 5 Roads in the area have also been affected by the work The facility which will hold excess wind or solar power has been promoted as crucial to helping Scotland meet net zero targets.
As many as four depots are being planned within a one-mile radius in Ayrshire . But homeowners living in the vicinity claim the constant work has resulted in them becoming a by-product of big business . One resident Jane Dalrymple moved to the area to flee the noise of the city , but is now dealing with the racket of a construction site on her doorstep.
READ MORE ON THE SCOTTISH SUN ON THE EDGE Police on alert amid fears far-right rioters could attack several Scots hotels TOUGH TIMES Parents face grim cost of living decision as school uniforms now 'luxury' item She told STV News : “It’s a nightmare, a nightmare. I’d already rather be back in a town and away from this constant construction on my doorstep. “We’ve just become a by-product of what is big business for everybody concerned, except for us.
” And with work starting as early as 7am five days a week, locals say the work is impacting their day-to-day lives. One homeowner Lesley Laird claimed that her home flooded as a result of the "horrendous" works. Most read in The Scottish Sun SOCIAL STORM Premiership star's social media account shares Tommy Robinson documentary BEACH PLUNGE Woman in her 50s falls 30ft screaming through trapdoor on Blackpool Pier ON THE EDGE Police on alert amid fears far-right rioters could attack several Scots hotels DYNAMO KYIV 1 RANGERS 1 LIVE REACTION as Dessers equalises Yarmolenko goal with last kick Roads in the area have also been subject to work - with one of the C roads being widened and temporary traffic lights put in place to manage congestion.
But Lesley says that measures to control traffic were only implemented after numerous complaints and meetings with East Ayrshire Council. I spent 9 1/2 hours driving home due to 'nightmare' construction project - drivers' car batteries were dying on the road Stephen Chard, who lives close to one of the proposed sites for the next BESS developed, said: " “We all acknowledge the importance of Scotland’s net zero targets. But all over Scotland, communities are facing the sort of disruption that’s being experienced here and I’m worried about the lack of planning and coordination behind it.
“The result here, is we’ve got a 21st century gold rush of speculated development. It’s not being driven or planned anywhere. There may well be a plan at the centre of the Scottish government but if there is, no one has told us about it.
” Though there are more than 270 battery energy storage sites planned or under construction, there are no government regulations in place to manage the disruption caused. A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “We are unable to comment on live applications. “Our Fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4) places climate and nature at the centre of our planning system and makes clear our support for all forms of renewable, low-carbon and zero emission technologies, including energy storage.
“Potential impacts on communities and nature are important considerations in the decision-making process, and all applications are subject to site-specific assessments. “Once any application is granted, the enforcement of planning conditions is a matter for the local authority. 5 The facility which will hold excess wind or solar power has been promoted as crucial to helping Scotland meet net zero targets 5 As many as four depots are being planned within a one-mile radius in Ayrshire.
In a statement, East Ayrshire Council said: "There are four proposed battery energy storage systems (BESS) located on or around the C53 road near the Kilmarnock South electricity substation. "All are applications under Section 36 of The Electricity Act 1989 and as such, the decision maker in all of them is the Scottish Government. One scheme in East Ayrshire is approved and under construction (the Zenobe scheme), a project in South Ayrshire but near the C53 has been given consent by Ministers, and two applications remain with the Scottish Government for determination, one of which the Council has provided a consultation response to at this time.
"When consented by the Scottish Government, the Council is responsible for approving applications to discharge planning conditions on the consent and to thereafter monitor compliance with the consent when the development is under construction. "In respect of the Zenobe development, all relevant conditions have been discharged by the developer and the Council is actively engaged in monitoring compliance during construction. "There have been some issues around construction traffic caused by the actions of the developer and their contractors.
"The Council does have sympathy with residents living near to the construction route regarding the situation residents are facing during the construction of the development, and we are using our best endeavours to ensure that the developer is complying with the agreed conditions to reduce and mitigate impacts to an acceptable level. "Council officers have brought recent, and previous, traffic concerns to the attention of the developer and ensure that the developer resolves matters quickly and that they continue to put suitable mitigation measures in place to minimise impacts on the road and residents and therefore maintain ongoing compliance with their consent. Read more on the Scottish Sun REAL BORN KID I gave birth at a music festival then headed straight back to the main stage SOCIAL STORM Premiership star's social media account shares Tommy Robinson documentary "The developer has acknowledged some recent failures of communication with residents during construction however they have worked to address these quickly and have been holding periodic meetings with residents including one held last week (31 July) to present their plans for the forthcoming month as well as deal with any ongoing issues.
" James Basden, Co-founder and Director of Zenobē, the Kilmarnock site's developers, said:.
