Residents around the planned site of a 30MW Angus solar farm have intensified their opposition to the “industrial eyesore” on local farmland.
It comes as people living near the Cotton of Lownie site east of Forfar await the outcome of a planning application they say has dominated their lives for the past two years.
But locals fear they are fighting a losing battle to safeguard valuable farmland labelled the “bread basket of Scotland”.
The bid centres on fields either side of the B9128 Forfar to Carnoustie road.
The site is east of the village of Kingsmuir and near the junction leading to Letham.
Solar farm would power concrete plant
Industria Resources first submitted formal proposals for almost 150 acres of arable land last June.
An original plan to spread the development over three fields has been reduced to two.
A battery energy storage system is part of the application.
The development would provide green power for Forfar concrete block firm Lairds in what the applicants say is a UK first.
But opponents of the scheme have flooded Angus Council with letters of objection ahead of planning deadline this week.
Leading campaigner Pam Hamilton has branded the entire process “very vague”.
“The community has had the anxiety of this hanging over their heads for two years,” she said.
“It’s been a year since there were two abysmal public consultation events.
“And we were very disappointed to see the very late submission (from the applicants) seemingly addressing community concerns.”
Three community councils against Lownie bid
A trio of community councils – Forfar, Inverarity and Letham – have added their voice to the flood of objections.
But no definite date has been set for the application to go before councillors.
“The two-year limbo continues,” added Pam.
And she fears the approval of a number of other Angus solar arrays will set the tone for the Lownie application.
The concern is echoed by Forfar Community Council, whose list of worries includes cumulative impact.
A 29MW Suttieside scheme was approved at the end of last year for land north of Forfar.
Inadequate screening, flooding and road safety fears are among other objections.
“There are so many areas of concern, and given the enormous repercussions of this scheme, I feel justified in voicing them,” added Pam.
“We are not against renewable energy per se, but common sense must prevail.
“I would urge any councillor called on to vote on this project, to really ask themselves if, in all good conscience, this can be approved.
“We are the ones who will be stuck with this.”
And despite changes to the plan, many critics say the scheme is simply too large and in the wrong location.
Proposal altered to address local concerns
Industria has been asked for comment on the application.
In March, the company submitted a 12-page document to Angus Council of responses to public comments.
The company says it has moved solar panels further from homes in the area and cut one field from the scheme to minimise residential impact.
And the developer suggests wildflower planting and other measures will have a net biodiversity gain.
“In order to help the UK government achieve net zero by 2050, there is a hard push to be self-sufficient on renewable energy,” say Industria.
Their submission says other sites, including brownfield, were examined and ruled out.
“Laird do not own enough land to accommodate the proposal in full,” they add.
“The generating capacity would need to be significantly reduced in order to fit any form of PV array onto Laird land, which would ultimately deem the project unviable.”
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