A leading independent school in Aberdeen said its “only option” is to challenge plans for a controversial battery storage site in court after it was approved on appeal by government officials.
North East MSP Liam Kerr, who has been contacted by Robert Gordon’s College (RGC), has now written to SNP Energy Secretary Gillian Martin, stating that the Scottish Government’s move to overturn a decision by councillors to reject the plans is a “failure of democracy”.
Aberdeen councillors previously voted down proposals by Flexion Energy UK Storage for land at Newton of Pitfodels near Cults, close to the school’s Countesswells playing fields.
But the controversial proposals, which gathered more than 100 objections, were last month approved after the firm appealed the case to the Scottish Government.
In his letter, Mr Kerr called on the Scottish Government to bring in a regulatory framework to safeguard communities from being over industrialised by battery storage schemes.
Mr Kerr said the safety of pupils, staff and other sports teams which use Countesswells were being put at risk amid the prospect of a fire breaking out, warning that the Scottish Government is failing to respect community decision-making.
Scottish Conservative North East MSP Liam Kerr said: “It is entirely understandable that Robert Gordon’s College feels it has been left with no choice but to look at potentially taking this case to the Court of Session.
“Many people tell me that the Scottish Government’s decision to ignore the original outcome of the application, as well as the concerns of both the school and the wider Countesswells community, is a failure of democracy.
“The Scottish Government continues to take the attitude that they know better than local authorities when it comes to vital planning decisions.
“Local planning decisions are made best by those who will be affected by them, not by those living many miles away in Edinburgh.
“It seems clear that the judgement taken by the Scottish Government in this case fails to respect community decision-making.
“Communities like Countesswells are rightly concerned that they are being steamrolled into industrial zones through an unjust transition which residents are overwhelmingly opposed to.
“I commend RGC for standing up for the safety of its pupils, staff and sports teams who use Countesswells.”
In his letter, Mr Kerr added: “Should a fire break out at the proposed Countesswells site, the danger would not only be airborne toxicity.
“A fire would also cause pollutants to leach into the ground beneath, damaging the water table and posing long-term risks to local residents, the natural environment and users of the RCG playing fields.”
