Over 130 Berwickshire residents attended a public meeting on Monday evening to discuss proposals for Battery Energy Storage Systems in the local area.
I chaired the meeting at Leitholm Village Hall and it was attended by Rachael Hamilton MSP, representatives of battery storage company Zenobe, and local councillors.
Other developers were invited but did not accept the invitation.
The public meeting was arranged after a number of planning applications were made for Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) sites surrounding the Eccles substation.
People raised concerns about the use of prime agricultural land for the sites, the lack of SNP Government oversight of the planning process, potential visual and noise impact of the site, possible problems with traffic during construction, the quantity of applications in the area, and fire safety concerns.
We are grateful to everyone who attended this meeting to discuss the matter of planning applications for battery storage systems around Eccles substation.
The local community have serious concerns about many aspects of these proposals which I hope the Scottish Government and developers will look to address.
The SNP Government really must improve the planning application process so that local residents receive the information they deserve and have their views listened to, which hasn’t happened on this occasion.
