Residents react with fury over 'frightening' battery storage site plan

Natives to Clydebank's Cochno Road have vowed to fight the proposals to develop a 560MW battery storage facility, comprising 29 hectares of land on greenbelt fields behind Faifley.

Although the land earmarked for the development sits in East Dunbartonshire, it is claimed those living in West Dunbartonshire will be the ones directly affected.

Locals were only made aware of the ‘frightening’ proposals when they received a letter from a company called AAH Consultants inviting them to two days of three-hour-long consultation events at Skypoint.

However, Provost Douglas McAllister slammed the way these consultations had been promoted, claiming only a handful of residents received the letters.

He said: “The development proposal would affect my constituents in Faifley, rather than residents of East Dunbartonshire. 

“I immediately contacted Pamela Clifford, the Head of the Planning Authority at West Dunbartonshire Council to insist that we express our concerns and make representation on behalf of the residents of Faifley and Hardgate. 

“I understand that the company has arranged for two public consultation meetings in the Skypoint Centre in Faifley. 

“However, I also understand that they issued only six letters to residents of Cochno Road and therefore, in my opinion, it is unlikely that the residents of Faifley and Hardgate will be aware of this development or the public consultation exercise.”

The plans have been met with furious opposition from locals (Image: Tom Grant)

The Provost’s concerns echo that of Cochno Road residents, who worry about the battery facility’s impact on people’s health, the local wildlife and the value of their homes.

James Johnston, whose mother-in-law lives on Cochno Road, believes the plans contradict what they have been told in the past about building on the greenbelt area.

He said: “The nature of the properties there, they are rural in their aspect.

“It’s not a housing development, there is only a handful of properties there.

“And, whenever anyone who lives there has applied for planning permission to do any development, they have really struggled because it is greenbelt land.

“To put an extension on your house or build a big shed in the garden, there are actual constraints on that, so to then turn around and say they are going to develop this huge site, it’s not on.

“The actual scale of what they are proposing is frightening.”

Before adding: “I think the consensus amongst all the neighbours I have spoken to is definitely one of anger.

“It doesn’t seem to be in line with what the area is.”

Violet Forbes, who lives with her mum and dad on the street, added her dismay at the project.

She said: “It’s a massive place up here. It’s so busy for walkers. There’s the Kilpatrick Hills.

“So, all of the paths which lead through the fields take you up to the hills. It’s just very popular for people, not just from Clydebank but from all over Scotland, who come up here and go walks because of all the different routes that they can go.

“All of that will be taken away.”

Developers say the battery facility would be capable of storing and releasing enough energy to power approximately 165,000 homes and save 240,000 tonnes of carbon annually.  

It would comprise a number of containerised units to house battery energy storage systems and associated ancillary infrastructure.

Each container will have the appearance of a standard metal ISO/shipping container and soundproofing measures will be implemented.

It is understood the plans won't go before the council or a local planning committee, instead, they will be considered by the Scottish Government’s Energy Consents Unit.

The consultants run by AAH Consultants will take place across two dates, starting on Tuesday, July 18 and then on August 1.

Each day will have two sessions, one from 11am to 2pm and then another from 4pm to 7pm.

They will be held at Skypoint (Lennox Drive, Faifley, G81 5JY). 

AAH Consultants have been approached for comment.