Recall sought on 'huge' battery storage plant near Clydebank
A Facebook titled 'Save Our Countryside - Cochno Road' was set up shortly after the proposals were first announced, which has gained more than 1,000 members opposing the plans.
Now, local MP, Douglas McAllister, has written to the Cabinet Secretary of Climate Action and Energy, Gillian Martin, and Ivan McKee, Minister of Public Finance, to recall their decision.
In the letter, Mr McAllister wrote: "The level of objection by the community of West Dunbartonshire is based on the sheer size and scale of this potential development, described as one of the largest of its kind in Europe. The application site is the wrong location; it is too close in proximity to the heavily populated residential area of Faifley.
The Scottish Government, in partnership with West Dunbartonshire local authority, has recently invested in excess of £35 million, completing a community education campus in Faifley due to be open in the autumn of this year. This proposed BESS application is in close proximity to that.
In the letter, he said: "It is incredibly disappointing that at a time when the local community is celebrating the largest capital investment since the construction of Faifley, that at the same time, the Scottish Government's Energy Consents Unit has consented to such a significant unwelcome construction.
"In all the circumstances, I respectfully submit that consenting to this application is inappropriate, and therefore I formally request, as the Member of Parliament for West Dunbartonshire, that Scottish Ministers give consideration to calling in the application outcome by the Energy Consents Unit to review matters."
Examining the cup and ring markings at Whitehill 4, this, and three others in the small hazel woodland, are less than 20m from the perimeter of the development. (Image: Kat Jones) Meanwhile, Action to Protect Rural Scotland (APRS) is calling for the reconsideration of planning policy surrounding the battery site after seven, including the Whitehall Farm, were approved.
Dr Kat Jones, Director of APRS, said: "It is shocking that a site with such important archaeological and natural heritage, and of such importance for local people and visitors, can get permission for a huge and damaging battery storage facility. If this site can get permission for battery storage, then nowhere is safe.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Herald Scotland
6 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Police officers 'at risk' with asbestos in stations
It comes as figures obtained by the Scottish Conservatives through freedom of information request, revealed that 177 police stations around the country contain the potentially harmful substance. The substance was banned in construction by 1999 but is still present in may older buildings. It can cause serious lung and respiratory conditions. But with 214 police stations across Scotland, there are just 37 that do not contain any asbestos. All 13 divisions of Police Scotland contain stations with asbestos, while three - Tayside, Edinburgh and the Lothians and Scottish Borders - include reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC), the lightweight material used in the deadly Grenfell Tower fire in 2017. Read more: The highest number of stations with asbestos is found in Aberdeenshire and Moray where 25 buildings contain the material, followed by 23 in Greater Glasgow and 21 in Tayside. 19 buildings in the Lothians and Scottish Borders contain asbestos, as do 18 in Lanarkshire and 11 each in Edinburgh, Argyll and West Dunbartonshire and Ayrshire. Fife and Dumfries and Galloway have 10 buildings each with asbestos, Forth Valley, nine, Renfrewshire and Inverclyde, six and Highlands and Islands, three. The precise stations affected by asbestos and RAAC have not been revealed. Liam Kerr, justice spokesman for the Scottish Tories, said the "dangerous" figures must act as a wake up call for the Scottish Government. The party also warned that the Scottish Police Federation (SPF) has warned about the state of police stations in the country for years. In evidence to Holyrood's justice committee in 2019, former SPF general secretary Calum Steele described Ayr station as "probably being carved out of asbestos". He described much of the police estate across Scotland as "frankly decrepit". Read more: Mr Kerr said: 'It is utterly appalling and downright dangerous that any of Scotland's police stations should still contain asbestos. 'The fact the vast majority do across the country is deeply alarming and puts our hardworking officers and staff at great risk. 'These shocking findings are the latest example of the SNP's shameful neglect of Police Scotland. 'They have ignored warnings for years about Scotland's crumbling police estate and left officers and staff working in these buildings to face the consequences. 'This must be an urgent wake up call for the SNP justice secretary to properly fund our police estate and guarantee asbestos will be removed from all of these stations where it is safe to do so as quickly as possible.' Senior management at Police Scotland declared 29 stations were unfit for purpose in October 2023. The force is considering the feasibility of retaining some stations as part of its 10-year Estates Masterplan. It was revealed in 2023 that around 140 police stations across the country had been closed, with front desks falling from 340 in 2013 to 253 in 2023. A Scottish Government spokesperson said: 'While responsibility for manging the police estate is for Police Scotland, we support their work to address issues in police buildings and welcome their commitment to providing a safe environment for officers, staff and the public. 'We have more than tripled the policing capital budget since 2017-18 and we are investing a record £1.64 billion for policing this year. This includes £70 million of capital funding to invest in resources and estates.'
Daily Record
7 hours ago
- Daily Record
Perth and Kinross Council objection to super-sized solar farm in Coupar Angus sparks public inquiry
Councillors have voted to object to a 110MW battery and solar energy park on 105 hectares of prime agricultural land A public local inquiry has been sparked after Perth and Kinross councillors voted to object to a massive energy development on prime agricultural land. The 105-hectare plant is the latest of many renewable energy proposals for the Coupar Angus area, prompting concerns the Perthshire town - famed for its fertile land - was transforming into "Solar" Angus. On Wednesday, August 6 Perth and Kinross Council's (PKC) Planning and Placemaking Committee voted - against council officers' recommendation - to object to Stirling Battery and Solar Energy Park. Sirius EcoDev (Stirling) Ltd submitted an application to the Scottish Government's Energy Consents Unit (ECU) to develop a 110MW energy plant on land between Burrelton and Coupar Angus, 600 metres north-west of Caddam Cottage, Keithick. The planning application is being considered by the Scottish Government's ECU due to it generating over 50MW of power. The 50MW battery storage system and 60MW solar energy park would be erected on prime agricultural land the size of over 146 football pitches. At Wednesday's meeting, councillors were simply asked whether or not PKC should object to the application as a statutory consultee. PKC'S Building Standards and Development Management service manager Kristian Smith reminded councillors the National Planning Framework 4's (NPF4) policy "allows this sort of energy development proposal on prime agricultural land". He said council officers had considered the cumulative impact and deemed it as being "acceptable". However, uncertainty does still loom over the controversial nearby 91-hectare Markethill Solar Farm proposal, which drew 173 objections. It was refused by councillors in December 2023. The decision was subsequently appealed and called in by Scottish Ministers. Mr Smith said: "It's been sitting with Ministers since May of last year and we have chased multiple times to get a decision and that has not - as yet - been forthcoming. "It would have been very helpful to have had an outcome on that application over the last year and a half but, notwithstanding, we've still taken into account that proposal and feel the cumulative impacts related to the proposals that are subject to this consultation are acceptable." Conservative councillor Keith Allan said: "What is the ceiling? Where do we feel the line is where we would say, 'we can't consider that'?" He added: "Looking at the map, and the bits that have previously gone under consideration, it seems excessive. If this all goes ahead, we can change its name from Coupar Angus to Solar Angus." Liberal Democrat councillor Claire McLaren added: "The frustration is the recognition food producing land (prime agricultural land) - where there is only eight per cent in Scotland - is being overlooked within NPF4. Food supply to food retailers is an important matter and there is a cumulative impact on that." Conservative Blairgowrie and Glens councillor Bob Brawn moved to formally object to the application. He said he did not object to renewable energy developments but added: "The important thing is they have to be in the right place. And I feel that over the past few months we are slowly seeing Coupar Angus potentially becoming some form of industrialised site for solar farms and in doing so we're losing prime agricultural land. "Our own policy says prime agricultural land should be protected and it does allow it for essential infrastructure. I would argue that, at the moment, this is not essential and the cost of losing agricultural land - in this instance and what we have seen and what is already approved - is getting to the point of too much." Cllr Brawn suggested national planning policy makers perhaps did not believe "prime agricultural land would be thrown at developers like this". He said: "That wasn't the spirit of what NPF4 was about. It was about producing renewable energy in the right place at the right time. I feel we're witnessing abuse of NPF4, simply by people throwing prime agricultural land out to do this." PKC objecting will trigger a local public inquiry, which Cllr Brawn welcomes. He said: "I think a public local inquiry is deserved in this instance in this area. I think it would be a good thing for everyone whatever the outcome is. People will get their chance to speak." Cllr Ian James seconded the motion. SNP councillor Ian Harvey tabled an amendment not to object. Cllr Richard Watters seconded the amendment with the proviso "a thorough investigation is done into the cumulative impact on prime agricultural land around Coupar Angus and across Perth and Kinross". Seven councillors - four Conservatives, one Lib Dem, one Independent and local Strathmore ward SNP councillor Grant Stewart - voted to object to the Coupar Angus development. The remaining four SNP councillors voted not to object to the development. Convener SNP councillor Ian Massie thanked councillors for their votes and said: "Therefore that means the consultation goes forward with an objection from Perth and Kinross Council."
Scottish Sun
8 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
‘I look forward to playing with him' – Moment Scots golf star congratulated by US President Donald Trump on video call
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A SCOTTISH golf star has been personally congratulated by Donald Trump in a special video call. The US president expressed his desire to play with the Scot after he picked up an honour at one of his courses. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 Grant Forrest of Scotland picked up the Nexo Championship 2025 trophy Credit: Getty 4 His victory came at Trump International Golf Links in Aberdeen Credit: Getty 4 The US president congratulated him in a video call Credit: DP World Tour Grant Forrest eased to victory on home soil for the second time in his career with a four-shot success at the Nexo Championship. The win came at Trump International Golf Links in Aberdeen and, shortly after collecting his trophy, he was being congratulated by the owner and 47th president of the USA over FaceTime. "I watched it... he's some player. I look forward to playing with him - in fact I will play with him tomorrow if he could get on a plane right now," Trump said in the call, shared on X by the DP World Tour. He continued: "I'm playing right now, I'm on a golf course, a beautiful one in Washington D.C. Trump International. "I have very good players, but they're not like you Grant!. "What a round of golf. What three rounds of brilliant golf. "That course is big and strong and tough, your swing is great. "It's a great honour you won, thank you very much." The Livingston-born star replied 'thank you for having us'. Forrest, who lifted his maiden DP World Tour title at St Andrews four years and two days ago, took control of windy conditions over the weekend but saw his three-shot overnight advantage trimmed to two after Todd Clements' birdie on the opening hole. Donald Trump hits first ever shot at opening of new Trump North Sea links golf course 4 Trump said he watched Forrest achieve his 'great honour' Credit: DP World Tour However, when Forrest birdied the fourth and Clements carded a triple-bogey eight at the same hole, the Scot led by five and never looked back. The world number 294, who double-bogeyed the last, added two more birdies and a dropped shot in a closing 72 to finish with an eight-under-par total. "It's amazing, just speechless," Forrest said. "I think it is the same week as I won four years ago on the calendar so just amazing, that must say something about this week and being at home. "I just can't believe it. It's been such a tough year on the golf course. It's just a crazy game that you can go and come out and do this, with what feels out of nowhere. "It's just that old chestnut that one week can turn things around and it has." Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
