A group of countryside dwellers are objecting to plans to build a battery storage facility on agricultural land in the heart of their community. The major development, which is about three football pitches in size, is earmarked for land at Loanhead Farm, just off the Elgin to Duffus road. What’s known as a proposal of application notice has been submitted to Moray Council’s planning committee by the UK arm of Spanish company OPDEnergy.
Although the development is still at a fledgling stage and the committee won’t be making a decision at its meeting tomorrow (Tuesday, August 13), local residents have taken the chance to make their opposition known immediately. One of them, Sarah Hazzard, stated the development would be an “eyesore” that would spoil a beautiful part of the region. She added: “They’re proposing to build on prime farming land.
It’s going to ruin an area on the Laich of Moray. “We’ve written to the MSP, the MP and to our local councillors to raise awareness about what’s being proposed. We’re going to fight this.
” The residents are questioning why a site has been chosen that’s more than two miles from the substation on Elgin’s Covesea Road which the facility would serve. Amongst their other concerns are the impact that construction traffic would have on a single track lane with no passing places or space to turn lorries. In addition, they are highlighting that the underground cable linking the facility to Elgin would pass through ancient woodland at Findrassie.
ODPEnergy says its facility would store excess energy and release it at times when demand exceeds generation, allowing for a more stable and reliable electricity supply. It would store 49.9MW of electricity – just below the 50MW threshold where the matter would go to the Scottish Government for a decision rather than Moray Council.
A public consultation event has been scheduled for Wednesday, September 18, at Spynie Hall regarding the proposed development. ODPEnergy is also working on plans to install a similar 49.9MW battery facility on land just 90 yards from Macduff Primary School – a proposal which is being objected to by worried parents.
The Loanhead Farm proposal will be one of four major building projects going before the planning committee tomorrow. Proposal of application notices (PANs) have also been submitted for warehouses at Portgordon, an anaerobic digestion facility at Buckie and further housing in Elgin. Springfield Properties has submitted a PAN for phase three of its South Glassgreen housing development to the west of the A941 Elgin to Rothes road.
As well as homes it includes retail units and a school. The anaerobic digestion facility, which would turn organic matter such as animal or food waste into green gas and fertiliser, is sited to the east of March Road in Buckie Finally, William Grant and Sons Distillers has submitted a proposal to build warehouses to the south west of Crisp Maltings at Portgordon. As well as ancillary buildings it includes a bridge over the Core Burn.
None of the four proposals will be decided upon tomorrow, however they will be discussed by councillors..
