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Daily Record
10-08-2025
- Business
- 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."
Daily Record
10-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
Sainsbury's store in Auchterarder approved despite The Co-op's objection
Perth and Kinross councillors voted to approve the application, going against officers' recommendation to refuse it Plans for a new Sainsbury's store in Auchterarder - which grocery rival The Co-op objected to - have been given the go-ahead by councillors. Perth and Kinross Council officers had recommended the application for refusal saying it was "an out-of-centre location" which is "not allocated for new retail development". But elected members sitting on PKC's Planning and Placemaking Committee on Wednesday, July 9 gave their overwhelming support to the application, arguing it brought "much-needed choice and competition" to the Perthshire town. The proposal - put before councillors - was for a convenience store with a car park, which would create around 15 to 20 jobs. The vacant site was a former PKC depot on Feus, on the northern side of the A824 and 900m east of Auchterarder's town centre. Planning officers said the proposed 360m² store - despite being reduced from 448m² - was too large to be defined as a small-scale neighbourhood retail development in line with PKC's 2023 Perth and Kinross Retail Study. PKC's Development Management and Building Standards manager Kristian Smith said: "The council's retail study what would be considered to reflect a neighbourhood/small-scale retail that would serve the local needs of the immediate population and that has been set out as a unit of 200m² or a grouping of different offerings [units] of up to 500m²." He added: "We've all seen what has happened over decades past with out-of-town shopping, and for the scale we're looking at, the concerns we have is we are just diverting trade away from the town centre." However, Strathallan ward Liberal Democrat councillor Alan Watt argued locals "want the store to be as big as it can be". He and fellow ward SNP councillor Steven Carr - addressed the committee on behalf of the community they represent - speaking in favour of the application. Cllr Carr said: "In speaking with residents, I haven't received a single email, phone call or discussion on the street that has expressed opposition to this planning application. "This is in an area of Auchterarder that has had a substantial number of houses built over the last few years and with many of them now occupied by families, there is certainly a need to increase the daily food shopping facilities within this particular area. And - with permission - for a further 100 houses already granted it can be argued this is no longer becoming a need but a necessity for the area." Cllr Watt said: "I had 51 comments on social media - all of them were supportive. "Historically, Auchterarder has had many more stores than it does now, with a much-increased population." Bailie Claire McLaren asked if there had been concerns from other local business owners, besides The Co-op. Cllr Carr said: "One of the great things about Auchterarder is the diversity of the shops that are there. It's one of the few small towns that actually has a thriving High St and it's down to the diversity of these shops. I don't see anything with regards to the planning application that would affect that." PKC received eight letters of objection to the application, seven letters of support and four neutral responses. David Campbell from North Planning and Development addressed the council on behalf of the Co-op, who submitted an objection to the application. He said: "The Co-op is a key stakeholder in Auchterarder town centre. "Significant impact on The Co-op - as the planning officer judges would occur - will therefore have negative impacts on the wider town centre due to lost shopping trips and linked spending in other shops, coffee shops, etc." The Co-op's analysis predicted the Sainsbury's proposal would "draw approximately 75 per cent of its trade from the existing town centre and that would have a 30 per cent negative impact on town centre retailers" which Mr Campbell said would have "significant consequences for Auchterarder town centre". He added: "National and council planning policies are designed to protect town centres. The Co-op - and others - have chosen to invest in Auchterarder town centre based on the certainty these policies are designed to provide. And this should not be undermined by granting planning permission for out-of-town centre developments." Duncan Kennedy of Sainsbury's told councillors the reduction in size would give it a shop floor space of 240m² - "basically the average size of a Sainsbury's Local store". A social media poll Sainsbury's conducted in January/February 2025 received over 1000 responses in a fortnight. Mr Kennedy said: "91 per cent indicated they would support it. If anything, the main bit of feedback we had was that people wanted a larger store, but clearly we are just proposing a neighbourhood local store. We think this is the best location we can find for it and we plan for the store to serve the immediate area around it with the aim of fostering 20-minute neighbourhoods." Sainsbury's planning agent Gary Morris added: "It's half the size of The Co-op." Referring to PKC's local development plan, Mr Morris said: "Our view is there is a clear qualitative need that the people of Auchterarder want. I don't think we can say just because there is already one food store in Auchterarder that is qualitative need met. If you've got no choice, you've got no competition; if you've got no competition, you've got no incentive or regulation on price, quality, service, supply, range, innovation." Strathallan ward councillor - Keith Allan - who sits on the committee moved the application for approval and was seconded by Cllr Ian James. Cllr Ken Harvey sought to refuse the application, describing the "potential 30 per cent downturn into the town centre" as "particularly worrisome". The SNP councillor insisted he was being "consistent" having been the only councillor to support officers' recommendation to refuse the Aldi application for Necessity Brae in Perth, in June 2025 and one of only two to vote to refuse the application for a Lidl on Perth's Crieff Road, in March 2025. Cllr Harvey was the only councillor to attempt to refuse the Sainsbury's application and it was unanimously approved.
