People power helped ensure plans for a controversial solar farm on the unspoiled Isle of Cumbrae were booted out by North Ayrshire councillors at a heated planning committee meeting on Wednesday.
Planning permission had been sought for the installation of a photovoltaic solar farm, with associated battery energy storage systems and associated infrastructure, to the north-east of Wee Minnemoer.
The site is 15.3 hectares of rough grassland and open moorland in the centre of Great Cumbrae.
The developed area would be approximately 9.25 hectares and accessed from the west, at the southern end of the western boundary.
In addition to photovoltaic panels, there would be an access road, electricity sub-station equipment and battery storage. The equipment would be between 4.2 metres and 5.3m high.
North Coast councillor and Tory group leader, Tom Marshall, said: “This is the first time we have had a unanimous view. All elected members in the area; Councillor Alan Hill, Eleanor Collier, Todd Ferguson and me agree that we should oppose this application.
“It is significant we're from different political parties but represent the same people.
“Millport and Cumbrae have a fragile economy with a declining population. It should not be the subject of unwelcome industrialisation in the form of a solar farm, which would do nothing for the economy of the island and create no significant jobs. It is opposed by hundreds of residents.
“Tourism is a key generator of jobs and we want to ensure this is protected. We don’t feel a solar farm would help Millport.
“The location is inappropriate. Great Cumbrae has a special landscape and this will impact on the area. It is situated in part of the Barbary local nature conservation site and it will impact on that area. The Scottish Wildlife Trust agrees.
“Cumbae attracts 750,000 tourists or residents a year and the inner circle area could not cope with the volume of traffic it would create.”
There were 350 written comments with 98 per cent of those objections.
Architect and local resident, Gregor Harvie, said: “People don’t object to solar power on our island in principle but what they object to is this particular proposal for the disruption of a beauty spot and an important habitat.
“The onus is on the applicant to demonstrate the locational need which they have never done. Why put this on a local beauty spot next to a picnic area alongside the core path and alongside land which has Scottish biodiversity habitats? Eight of the breeds listed appear on the Scottish biodiversity list.”
The applicants’ planning consultant, Colin Lavety, said: “I want to take the opportunity to emphasise to elected members how important it is to support the application. Everyone here will acknowledge the climate change crisis, meaning there is an increasing need for alternative sources of power.
“We appreciate the local community have strong concerns on the impact of proposals but can only stand by the work of our consultants which show that the site is suitable.
“We held a public exhibition over at Millport in 2022. Clearly a section of the community didn't support this but there are others who do.”
Planning officer Iain Davies said: "Supporting documents with the application include a planning statement, heritage impact assessment, landscape and visual landscape assessment, preliminary ecological appraisal and a transport hydrological assessment."
He said complaints submitted included concerns about the impact of wildlife, the disruption of a beauty spot and a high volume of traffic.
Traffic impacts could be managed during constitution and once operational there would be no effect on traffic.
Tory councillor Timothy Billings put forward a motion to refuse the application because of the detrimental impact it would have on the habitat, the tourist economy and landscape and this was agreed.
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