Elvanfoot Battery Energy Storage System (BESS)

Planning applications have been submitted for the installation of an 85 MW Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) in Elvanfoot, in the field opposite 2 homes on Leadhills Road and very close to 2 other homes on Dumfries Road.  See the overall plan below.

The site boundary is only 55 metres from the nearest property.  The nearest battery units are just 140 – 180 metres from these 4 properties.  These distances are much too close for safety in case of a BESS fire.  National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) says that for BESS planning and design, it must be assumed that a fire will occur, and all properties within 1 km which could be affected by fire must be properly considered.  But this proposed BESS site is within 500 metres of more than 20 Elvanfoot homes.

With the non-zero fire risk, plus the visual and noise impacts on residents’ amenity, no-one will want to buy a house so close to the BESS, and no banks will lend against a property they would be unable to sell.  With planning applications for Phase 2 & 3 of the BESS now submitted, these 4 houses are unsaleable, un-mortgageable, and probably uninsurable at an affordable premium.  Without a willing buyer or lender, these 4 houses – their owners’ principal financial asset – will be effectively worthless.

All residents of Crawford, Elvanfoot & Daer are invited to fill in the survey overleaf (if you haven’t already) to say what you think about the proposed location of this BESS.

For paper surveys, please return ASAP to the Crawford Hall letterbox,  or else to: Jeremy Cooper, 1 Leadhills Rd, Elvanfoot, ML12 6TE (email: jez54@btinternet.com ).

If you need your paper survey to be collected, please call Jeremy on 07736 120554