COMMUNITY leaders in Moffat have openly criticised a recent consultation about a proposed battery energy storage system (BESS) at Barnhill Lane.
Plans for a 500 megawatt BESS unit are being put forward by energy provider Conrad Energy. The prosed 16 acre site for development is located one kilometre north of the existing Moffat Substation and approximately one kilometre east of Beattock.
Although Conrad Energy have not yet submitted their plans to the Scottish Governments Energy Consensus Unit (ECU), Moffat and District Community Council (MDCC) have written to the government body criticising the ‘inadequacy’ of the developer’s consultation.
In their letter to the ECU, MDCC stated: “According to the applicant, neighbour notifications were only issued to properties within 500 yards from the proposed location, which is a field situated in a rural valley on good agricultural land. With due respect to our community members, almost no-one lives within that area. This meant the two neighbouring communities of circa 3,500 people situated within approx. a couple of miles of the proposed BESS namely Beattock and Moffat, were not directly informed, and did not have a valid or well publicised opportunity to attend the ‘consultations’ as they were not effectively advertised.”
The community council then went on to criticise the lack of advertising for the consultation event at Beattock Village Hall earlier this month adding: “No notice/notices regarding the ‘consultations’ were placed outside the location, and no posters or any other notices drawing attention to the ‘consultations’ were placed in either Moffat or Beattock by the applicant at any time.
“No attempt was made to use the vibrant local social media to inform and alert the communities to these ‘consultations’ by the developer.
Moffat and District Community Council was not informed directly of these ‘consultations’ and had to make contact itself with the applicant.”
MDCC are planning on discussing their position at the their monthly meeting on May 27 at the Town Hall.
