MORE than 50 community councils have come together to demand a pause on energy infrastructure projects across the Highlands.
Councils from across the Highland region gathered both in person in Beauly and online on Saturday to discuss their concerns over the pace and the scale of projects such as windfarms, battery storage sites, and transmission lines.
Representatives shared their widespread frustration at how applications are being handled by developers, the government, and national planners.
Collectively, more than 72,000 residents from Skye to Caithness were represented by those gathered, which is being described as "the largest gathering of community councils in Highland Council history".
The convention collectively called for a national planning inquiry and an immediate pause on major energy applications until their cumulative impact can be fully assessed.
Speaking at Phipps Hall, Stuart Mills, representing Halkirk and District Community Council, listed the concerns of his community, describing the area as "under siege".
“Caithness, and especially the Halkirk area, is under siege from energy projects. We must remind ourselves these are business ventures designed to make a profit.”
“Immediate action is needed to address the totality of all the developments and their supporting infrastructure,” he added.
Speaking remotely, Mark Gibson of Dunnet and Canisbay Community Council said he and his team are provided with little support when faced with complex applications.
Gibson shared: “We are a small group of volunteers. Reading through hundred-page documents and engaging with multiple developers in a single year is simply beyond our capacity".
He added: "There seems to be no one single energy strategy, just a year-by-year, scheme-by-scheme advancement with very little benefit showing for the local communities.
“We pay the highest prices in the UK for electricity, and that annoys many of our constituents when the energy is being generated or stored almost in their backyard.”
SNP MSP Maree Todd (below), for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, responded to the convention's statement, and said she had written to Energy Secretary Gillian Martin following the meeting to request a response to the issues set out.
She added: “I have been engaging extensively with both the Scottish and UK governments on a range of planning and regulatory matters.
"These discussions have centred around the issue of cumulative impact of developments on communities, the safety and regulation of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), and the importance of meaningful and ongoing community engagement throughout the planning process.
“I remain committed to raising these issues at every opportunity, ensuring that the views and concerns of my constituents are clearly heard and given full weight in all decision-making."
Tory MSP Edward Mountain, for the Highlands and Islands, also responded, telling campaigners: “I have long said that it is essential we do not sacrifice the Highlands on the altar of net zero.
“I agree with the convention’s findings that our communities need to be not only protected, but also properly compensated, when renewable projects are built in their area. The most important thing is that they are not ignored.
“The development of electricity infrastructure has real potential to threaten tourism, an industry on which Highlanders depend for their livelihoods.
“The convention on Saturday saw representation from community councils covering over 35 per cent of the Highland Council’s landmass (or nearly 12% of Scotland’s landmass), so it is vital that the concerns raised are heeded at the highest level.”
