Bosses at the renewable energy company behind the giant Berryhill solar farm believe neighbours will warm to the development in time.
The Scottish Government reporter paved the way for the joint-largest solar farm in Scotland to be built on Angus farmland last week.
Planning officials overturned an earlier ruling from Angus Council to refuse planning permission for the near 50-MW site.
Residents fought an impassioned local campaign to, in the words of one objector, save a “glorious, green piece of Angus heaven”.
Solar panels, fences, CCTV units and other buildings will now be built on productive farmland on the site outside Dundee.
The solar farm will be roughly equivalent to the size of 300 football pitches.
‘Appreciated addition to the local area’
Developers Solar2 have been working with local farmer William Moncrieff on his third bid to build a solar farm on his land.
A spokesperson for the company welcomed the decision. He highlighted extra funding for local groups that will flow from the project.
He said: “We are confident that, when built, the project will become an accepted and appreciated addition to the local area with the offered community benefit fund helping local projects and charities.
He said members of the company were “very pleased” with the Scottish Government reporter’s decision.
“This project will make a meaningful contribution to Scotland’s renewable energy generation target.
“It will help the UK in its aspirations of increasing home-grown energy production and improving the security of its energy supply,” he added.
Solar2 Berryhill array could generate £1m for community
Once operational, Berryhill Solar Farm will generate an annual community benefit fund worth £500 for every megawatt (MW) of export capacity on the site.
Solar2 claims this could generate a fund in the region of £25,000 per annum – around £1 million over the 40-year operational life of the farm.
The Berryhill decision comes as another renewable energy developer has asked Angus residents for feedback on a similar-sized development close to Forfar’s Athletic’s ground, Station Park.
Developers also want to build a solar farm inside Montreathmont Forest. That is close to Brechin in the north of the county.
Furthermore, there are plans to build the biggest battery storage facility in Scotland near Duntrune to the north of Dundee.
Angus, parts of Perth and Kinross and Fife are attractive to solar developers partly due to the above average amount of sunshine.
The weather station in Forfar has recorded a 30-year average of 1,411 sunshine hours per year.
The figure is even higher in north east Fife, in Leuchars, at 1,573 and 1,460 hours per year have been recorded near Invergowrie.
That compares with a Scottish average of around 1,200 sunshine hours per year.
Denis Speedie is a founding member of Spare (Save and Protect Rural Angus Environment). The group has co-ordinated local opposition to the development.
He said he had decided not to comment on the Scottish Government reporter’s decision on Berryhill.
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