Plans for a massive solar farm near Borgue will be the focus of a public meeting tonight.
Borgue Community Council has organised the event to gather views on the ambitious scheme at High Nunton.
The project area covers 124 hectares – half a square mile – and if approved would be one of the biggest solar farms in Scotland.
Detailed plans for the renewables project, being brought forward by local farmer Robert Maitland, were lodged with the council last month.
The proposal has divided opinion locally – and an independent arbiter has been called in to convene the meeting.
Community council chairman John Shields told the News: “We want to find out what the opinion of the community is about this fairly major project. We are expecting a lively discussion.
“We have had comments at previous meetings that the community council was biased in favour of the project. That is not the case.
“This is not a community council meeting – it’s an independent meeting. It will be chaired by Planning Aid Scotland to keep it impartial.”
Mr Shields added: “It’s fair to say there has been a mixed reaction so far.
“Local landowners say the applicants can do what they want with their land.
“One attitude is that this is just another aspect of farm diversity.
“Other people like the concept of green energy.
“But there’s a small group of about 12 who are strongly against it.
“There are also concerns this could be the thin end of the wedge and the whole area could be covered in solar farms.”
Mr Shields said the meeting will be held via the online platform Zoom after a rise in Covid cases locally.
He said: “We had a big outbreak of Covid in Borgue in the last couple of weeks just as we were planning the meeting.
“It was a mini epidemic and that’s why we went with Zoom.
“A lot of people are still quite wary of going out in groups of people.”
Detailed plans lodged with the council show solar panels covering 44.1 hectares – equivalent to 60 football pitches.
The remaining project area comprises open land, existing woodlands and new plantings of native trees, scrub, hedges and Sitka spruce to screen the arrays.
If built, the solar farm would have an installed capacity of up to 49.9MW and a rated output of 29.9 MW to the national grid.
However, the lack of a grid connection has pushed back deadlines.
Agents Prospus Consulting said in their design statement: “The proposal is dependent on a new grid connection which, in turn, is dependent on wider grid reinforcement works.
“Following recent advice from the District Network Operator, these reinforcement works will be delayed beyond the 2025 target date.
The agents also stated that fees for progressing “a complicated submission prepared over a number of months” totalled £107,880.
