Plans for a battery storage facility in Macduff are being branded “silly” due to its proximity to a local primary School.
Spanish firm OPDEnergy is working on plans to bring the 49.9MW plant to the Aberdeenshire town, with the site less than 100 metres from Macduff Primary.
Steven Barker, who has a child at the school, helped launch a campaign against the development.
He is fundraising to hire a planning consultant to fight the project.
He told STV News: “It’s just way too close to the school. It was only two weeks ago one went up in fire in America.
“It’s a case of ‘it’ll never happen to us,’ until it actually happens to us. We’re really not happy about it.”
STV NewsAt the other side of the site, Fran Mannyng runs an animal sanctuary after moving to Macduff from Lancashire.
She said: “I just came up here to rescue animals and live a nice life.
“We have a lot of children up here because I’m rescuing animals. They’ll bottle feed the animals. They could be here if that thing goes on fire. And if it goes on fire it’s leaking toxic fumes.
“It’s very, very dangerous.”
Campaigners want the development to be moved elsewhere, but OPDEnergy say, in order to connect to Macduff Substation, it needs to go on the planned site to make the project economically viable.
The firm also says it can work with local schools for ‘education purposes’ and take part in other community efforts.
OPDEnergy has been contacted for further comment.
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