Solar2 secured planning permission to develop a solar farm on farm land to the West of Fowlis, Invergowrie, around 4km north west of Dundee at postcode DD2 5LN.
We spoke to local people, the community council and other community stakeholders in the area surrounding the proposed solar farm, to discuss the project and the community benefit fund.
Consultation with the public took place both online and in person, in line with the wishes of the local community and following advice from Scottish Government. Solar2 hosted:
The Zoom call presentation and exhibition boards can be viewed/downloaded from the News section - see below.
The Berryhill Solar Farm will:
*Angus Council Area Profile (nrscotland.gov.uk). Source: Estimates of Households and Dwellings inScotland, 2019, Table 1
**Source: Homes Powered Equivalent calculated using the most recent statistics from the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).
***Source: RenewableUK uses BEIS’s “all fossil fuels” emissions statistic of 446 tonnes of carbon dioxide per GWh of electricity supplied.
Solar2 is very pleased to confirm that the Scottish Government has granted planning consent for the construction of Berryhill Solar Farm. This project will make a meaningful contribution to Scotland's Renewable Energy Generation target, and will help the UK in its aspirations of increasing home grown energy production and improving the security of its energy supply.
Details of the appeal can be found on the Scottish Government website.
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.
Solar2 is a specialist energy developer, founded in 2019 by Paula and Gerry Jewson, former owners of West Coast Energy.
The founders, together with the Solar2 team, have a substantial track record in the successful development of renewable projects throughout the UK, being responsible for the delivery of more than 1GW of renewable energy.
For more information on Solar2 please visit www.solar2.co.uk
The project will deliver equivalent electricity to power one in five of the homes in Angus.*
The development will create direct and indirect economic benefits including:
Once operational, Berryhill Solar Farm will generate an annual community benefit fund worth £500 for every megawatt (MW) of export capacity on the site, this could generate a fund in the region of £25,000 per annum, circa £1 million over a 40 year operational life.
The community benefit fund will be agreed with the Muirhead, Birkhill & Liff Community Council.
We heard from individuals and local groups about their ideas for how a Berryhill Solar Farm community benefit fund could work for the benefit of the local community around the farm. We spoke to the local community council - Muirhead, Birkhill & Liff – about how the fund might be managed.
We will continue to meet with local groups and community representatives to seek your input as the project progresses.
*Angus Council Area Profile (nrscotland.gov.uk). Source: Estimates of Households and Dwellings inScotland, 2019, Table 1
08.02.2022 Planning Application
Following submission of the planning application, the scheme had Planning Permission Refused at the Planning committee meeting on the 8th February 2022. Solar2 are in the process of assessing options.
Berryhill Solar Farm Ltd has submitted a Planning Application to Angus Council on 7th July 2021 for Installation of a Solar Photovoltaic Array (PV) with an Export Capacity of not more than 49.9MW and Ancillary Works at Field 300m West of Grange of Berryhill, Invergowrie.
Angus Council has now validated the application Reference 21/00535/FULM and it can be found here
A project update News Letter which explains how Solar2 have responded to the matters raised by local people during the community consultation and public exhibition is posted below.
Public Exhibition display now online
The pop up banners that were prepared for the Public Exhibition on Saturday 12th June, can be viewed here or downloaded as a PDF file (4MB).
Zoom call
A Zoom call took place on 10th June 5.00-7.00pm. The presentation by Solar2 can be downloaded below.
FAQs
Local people who attended the public exhibition on 12th June and who sent in feedback and questions via the website, have helped to draw out the main issues that we are considering as part of our survey work. Read the FAQ below.
Site visit
On Friday 18 June 2021, several members of Muirhead, Birkhill & Liff Community Council visited a working solar farm at Errol, to see it at first hand.
A proposal for a solar farm near Dundee that could generate sufficient electricity to power 1 in 5 of Angus’s homes, is being developed by Solar2.
Berryhill Solar Farm will generate clean, renewable energy through photovoltaic (PV) solar panels.
It will comprise around 152,000 individual solar panels mounted on racks and arranged in rows.
Berryhill will supply power directly into the grid, with an export capacity of 49.9MW (megawatts), generating sufficient electricity to meet the needs of around 1 in 5 of Angus’s homes (note 2).
Located west of Fowlis and around 4km northwest of Dundee, the farm is expected to offset approximately 20,230 tonnes of CO2 per year (note 2).
There will be a community benefit package worth £500 for every megawatt (MW) of installed capacity on the site. Assuming an installed capacity of up to 50MW, this would mean a community benefit fund with an annual value of £25,000 a year, or £1 million over the 40-year, operating life of the solar farm.
Solar2, the developers behind the project, have now started a series of meetings to introduce the team, get initial feedback and answer questions.
Solar2 has listened to community views and taken advice from Scottish Government’s Chief Planner and Angus Council’s planning team and determined that it will be possible to hold a public exhibition rather than a purely virtual consultation.
Development Director, Neil Lindsay said, “We’re looking forward to this opportunity to meet local people so that they can speak directly to us and raise any questions that they may have about the project.”
Solar2 will now
As part of the consultation with local people, Solar2 will be taking comments and questions up to 19th June 2021 inclusive. Solar2 expect to submit a planning application in late June 2021, after the public consultation is completed.
It should be noted that comments made to Solar2 during the pre-application consultation are not representations to the planning authority and if Solar2 submits an application, there will be an opportunity to make representations on that application to the planning authority.
If you have any questions you’d like answered, please email us at info@solar2.co.uk
Feedback has now closed and the planning application has been submitted to Angus Council. Formal representations can now be made via the Council's Planning Portal. The reference number is 21/00535/FULM
By filling in this form, you are agreeing that Pagoda PR Ltd can hold and process your personal data on behalf of Solar2, in relation specifically to the public consultation on the proposed solar farm at Berryhill. Pagoda PR will ONLY share your personal data with Solar2 and their planning team, for reporting purposes. Your identifiable, personal data will not be used for any other purposes without your consent. Pagoda PR will use your data on behalf of Solar2, to:
Berryhill Solar Farm Ltd
Registered No – SC677678
Registered Office – 2 Walker Street, Edinburgh, Scotland, EH3 7LB