The City of Edinburgh Council are set to approve a electrical substation for a multimillion sports and outdoor centre despite furious objections from the local community.
A report by the council’s Development Management Sub Committee (DMSC) shows they are set to approve the station at the development at Bangholm Outdoor Centre, Craighall Gardens, Edinburgh.
Now some in the local community are angry that the substation will be installed when it was not in the original planning documents.
The Leisure facility will have a four court sports hall, gym hall, dance studio and fitness suite with changing facilities and toilets.
Edinburgh Live revealed in 2019 that the new multimillion centre will be used by the 1200 pupils at the redeveloped school nearby, Trinity Academy.
However when it was recently decided a new substation station would needed to power the facility some members of the local community had serious concerns.
READ MORE: New data shows Covid-19 deaths rising to alarming levels again in Edinburgh
There were over 60 objections from locals in the planning application, concerned mainly about safety issues.
One said: “We are horrified at this proposal to site an electrical substation at a location that is five metres or less from the block of flats that we live in. It is staggering that a major project like the Bangholm Sports Centre development, which covers a massive area of clear field, has resulted in an apparently unforseen requirement for a substation that is being proposed to be placed right next to our residential block of flats.
Another added: “Research shows links between electro magnetic fields and risk of serious illnesses. In addition, the proximity means residents here could be exposed to unacceptable low level noise emissions.”
On the DMSC report a spokesperson for the council stated that the scheme would not impact the local residents.
They said: “The proposed substation and its enclosure are small in scale and will be a discreet element within the wider approved Bangholm scheme. The design and location of the substation will not impact on the character and appearance of the nearby conservation area. As a modern substation, there will be no impact on residential amenity in relation to noise.”
