Contentious plans for a battery storage facility near Cults, Aberdeen, have been approved by the Scottish Government following an appeal, overturning Aberdeen City Council’s initial refusal.
Local residents and community groups had previously lodged over 100 objections citing safety, environmental, and aesthetic concerns.
The proposed 40MW facility by Flexion Energy UK Storage will house 48 lithium-ion batteries in 12 shipping-container-sized units on land at Newton of Pitfodels, near the Craigiebuckler substation. The site borders the Robert Gordon’s College playing fields and Ben Reid Garden Centre.
Aberdeen City Council rejected the application in September 2024, citing its industrial nature as “out of place” within the green belt and warning of a “significant negative visual impact on the landscape”.
School officials from Robert Gordon’s College also raised fears over potential fires releasing “toxic vapour, fumes, or smoke,” endangering pupils using the nearby playing fields.
Local opposition was fierce, with 107 formal objections submitted to the council. Residents and community councils highlighted risks such as fire hazards, noise pollution, road access issues, and damage to biodiversity.
Kirsten Buck, a mother of two living near the site, described it as “high risk,” adding: “To locate such a facility adjacent to a school playing field… demonstrates no concern for the safety of our children.”
Valerie Milne of Braeside and Mannofield Community Council criticised the proposal as “reckless,” referencing a 2020 fire at a similar facility in Liverpool that took 59 hours to extinguish. She argued: “Battery energy storage system fires and explosions are unpredictable… This might be a risk that is OK to take in an appropriate location well away from people.”
Flexion Energy appealed to the Scottish Government after the council’s refusal. Planning reporter Stephen Hall overturned the decision, stating that the site was “the least constrained and most suitable” among those considered within 1.5 kilometers of the Craigiebuckler substation. He assured that “there would be no significant long-term impacts on the environmental quality of the green belt.”
However, approval came with conditions requiring Flexion Energy to demonstrate how the facility will integrate into its surroundings. This includes plans for tree removal and replanting as well as details on access roads.
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The decision has left local residents dismayed. Dr. Wendy Ratcliffe, who lives near the site, called it “entirely inappropriate,” warning of potential environmental catastrophes from fires or toxic leaks. Similarly, Ellen Robinson voiced concerns about fumes impacting nearby homes and playing fields: “The prevailing wind would immediately engulf the fields and residents… in toxic smoke.”
Despite these objections, Flexion Energy defended its project as “essential infrastructure” critical for renewable energy storage during a climate crisis.
As preparations for construction begin, local communities remain skeptical about whether their concerns will be adequately addressed. The controversy underscores broader tensions between renewable energy development and community safety considerations.
