Planning Committee agrees objection to BESS at Pitcox
Proposals for a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) on agricultural land at Pitcox, near Stenton, was one of a number of applications discussed at a planning committee meeting on 19 August.
BESS applications are decided by the Scottish Government’s Energy Consents Unit; East Lothian Council is a statutory consultee.
While the principle of the Pitcox BESS was considered acceptable, planning committee members unanimously agreed to submit an objection to proposed scheme on various grounds including:
- lack of information and assessment within the Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment
- likely loss of hedgerows important to the character of the area
- absence of a cumulative noise impact assessment
- insufficient information on surface water flooding
- concerns around proposed access arrangements for the site not meeting the council’s visibility requirements
- insufficient information on flood protection measures
Committee agreed to recommend that the applicant, Abei Energy Group, is offered the opportunity to amend their proposal and to submit further information to overcome these objections and that our authority should be consulted on any amended proposals. If objections are not resolved then the application will likely go to a public inquiry.
Glamping pods
Planning committee also considered applications from Walker Homes to increase the number of homes they intend to build on land at Windygoul South, Tranent, and for Taylor Wimpey UK Ltd to build 84 homes and nine flats on the wider Dolphingstone expansion site to the south and east of Wallyford.
Details of an onshore converter station and underground cables on land near Dunbar Landfill Site at Oxwell Mains were also unanimously approved.
While members voted unanimously to continue an application for six glamping pods at Boggs Holdings, Pencaitland, to allow the applicant to consider some of the concerns raised by local residents and during the discussion at committee.
Find out more about planning committee’s decisions and the corresponding application numbers.