Campaigners are celebrating after controversial plans for an energy storage plant at a beauty spot near a Borders village were ditched.
An application was submitted to Scottish Borders Council last month by Green Switch Energy to build a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) on land north-east of Sawmill Cottage, off the B6360 road, near Gattonside.
The energy company had applied to build 20 battery containers, 10 transformers, a substation and new access road, but Green Switch Energy has now informed the local community it has decided not to move forward with the proposed energy storage project, citing “planning and commercial” reasons for the decision.
A spokesperson for the company said: “This decision comes after an internal review of planning and commercial considerations.
“While this site is no longer viable for us, we remain committed to playing our part in building a more resilient and sustainable energy system across the UK with other renewable energy generation and energy storage projects. We also continue to explore opportunities that align with our goals in this part of the country.
“We’d like to sincerely thank everyone who took the time to engage with the early stages of this project. We appreciate the conversations we’ve had with residents and stakeholders over the past months.”
A campaign group, No to Gattonside Batteries, was set up to oppose the plans for the building of the site, following growing fears that the Scottish countryside could become a "concrete jungle" with the volume of proposed battery storage sites.
Concerns were raised over the impact it could have on the local landscape and wildlife, as well as any potential fire risk.
The site earmarked for the development is part of a designated National Scenic Area, and borders a stretch of the Southern Upland Way which boasts views over the Eildon Hills and River Tweed, near Melrose.
