Below is the Benarty Community Council submission to AAH Consulting about the proposed Battery Storage Facility in Ballingry.
Benarty Community Council
96 Martin Crescent
Ballingry KY5 8PT
BenartyCC@gmail.com
25 September 2023
AAH Planning Consultants
1 Bar Lane
York, YO1 6JU
200 MW BATTERY STORAGE FACILITY BALLINGRY
Dear Sir or Madam
Benarty Community Council met to discuss the proposed Battery Storage Facility in Ballingry. The first thing we would like to do is to ask for an official extension to the consultation period, currently due to end on 12th October. Benarty Community Council will disband on 27th September and a new Community Council will form on 5th October. To allow the new Community Council time to digest, study and consult we ask that the period be extended to 9th November. The reason for this date is to allow the Community Council to meet at least once during this period and to consult with the community, perhaps via a public meeting. The new Community Council would also most likely be interested in a representative attending a Community Council meeting. Please confirm receipt and all responses by email.
Questions from Benarty Community Council:
Does the Westfield Sub Station have the capacity to accommodate this development?
Will there be additional battery storage facilities added to this site in the future?
What will be the planned backhaul connection feed from the plant to the substation?
What sort of consultations will be undertaken for the connection?
What site work/construction will be involved in the connection?
How long is construction of the full facility expected to take?
Were other sites, locally, considered, e.g. Westfield where there is already development going on?
If yes, were the owners of that land approached?
Are there plans in place in case of flooding and contamination of land from either material leaked from the batteries or loose due to fire, in particular in connection to the burn nearby?
Who currently owns the land that is proposed for the battery storage facility?
Is the land being purchased by the company or leased?
The consultation boards at the consultation of 14th September in Benarty Centre say that Green Power Consultants are the developer, yet their website say they work with landowners; are Green Power Consultants working on behalf of themselves or someone else?
Can the company confirm that the boundary line has, in fact, been moved further away from the houses?
Can the company confirm that it won’t be moved back up against the fences, to accommodate more battery storage units, at some point down the years?
What are the plans for the space in-between the back of the houses and the battery storage units?
What is the expected decibel level of the “buzz” or other noise emanating from the battery storage units?
What measures will be in place to deaden the noise?
How will the noise levels be monitored over time?
What emissions will come from the site?
What evidence can the company provide that the battery storage units won’t produce harmful emissions?
Are there any plans in place for reworking of the site should the private members bill by Dame Maria Miller, MP for Basingstoke become law?
What actions do the company plan to take to liaise with our local Fire Service to produce a credible action plan to deal with any fire-related incidents at the site?
What support will be given to the local Fire Service in regard to this facility?
What type of fencing will be in place to deter people, particularly youngsters, from gaining admission to the site once it’s up and running?
How high will the fences be?
Will there be CCTV coverage of the site?
Will it be patrolled by security staff, both during the construction phase and once it’s up and running?
Can the company confirm the main and perhaps only access point to the site for vehicles is the Westfield Road side of the site?
Can the company confirm that there won’t be lorries and/or construction vehicles travelling through the villages of Benarty?
Will any local jobs be created either during the construction phase or once the facility is up and running?
Can any local jobs after construction of the facility be defined and named, eg general labour, security, and technical/specialist?
Will the company consider giving discounts on, or financial contributions to the cost of, the electricity bills for every house in Benarty if the proposal goes ahead?
Will the company encourage their on-site workers to purchase locally so that the community sees at least some wider financial benefit for tolerating the upheaval of the construction?
Will there be an official community benefit fund?
How will the community be defined?
How much will be made available each year?
How will it be administered?
Will local representatives have a seat on any decision-making committee?
When will we be informed if the company plans to proceed with the development?
Can you provide a list of how many, and what kind, of surveys will need to be undertaken?
When does the company think that it will be in a position to submit a formal planning application?
What is the projected lifespan of the battery storage units?
What plans will be in place for their decommissioning and replacement/removal from site?
How often will the batteries need to be replaced during the lifespan of the project?
Thank you for your attention to this matter and we look forward to your response.
Regards
John Purdie
Secretary
Benarty Community Council
