Developers behind proposals for a major solar farm on the northern edge of Forfar have lodged their detailed design with Angus planners.
Relay Suttieside want to put 50,000 solar panels on farmland close to the Station Park home of Forfar Athletic.
The scheme will involve a 29.1MW solar array with 20.8MW battery energy storage.
Sitting to the north of Suttieside, the site is bounded to the west by the popular Forfar golf driving range and café.
The application land covers more than 50 hectares in total, but the solar panels will take up less than a third of the land.
Public presentation events
In September, the plans were showcased to locals at consultation events in Lunanhead Hall.
Developers Epsilon Generation said they had been working on the project for some time.
The anti-reflective panels will be mounted north-south and use a tracking system which would allow them to tile up to 35 degrees to maximise solar capture.
Those behind the scheme say they have taken public comments on board and made alterations to the final designs now submitted to the council.
It has seen five different iterations of the original design draft, including taking panels away from the south east corner of the near
The site would be surrounded by a 2.1 metre high fence and covered by infrared CCTV cameras for security.
There will be no lighting on or around the site.
The applicants are seeking a 40-year permission for the solar farm.
It will connect to a substation less than a kilometre away on the east of Forfar.
And the developers hope to offer cheaper power to businesses on Suttieside industrial estate through a direct feed.
They also intend to set up a community fund to support local projects.
Planners have set a deadline of late June to make a decision on the planning application.
Community concerns
Neighbour and public consultation has now opened, allowing locals to have their say on the proposal.
But there were early fears among local objectors they will be fighting a losing battle.
Nearby farm shop owner Jude Foster fears Angus is about to be swamped by solar developments.
She is worried they will turn the countryside into an “industrial site”.
Jude previously led a campaign against a battery storage scheme beside an electricity sub-station just outside Forfar.
The Gigabox Developments bid was approved by Angus councillors in December 2021 but work on it is yet to begin.
An investigation by The Courier revealed land bigger than the size of Arbroath could be covered by solar farms in Angus and Perthshire which have either received the green light or are under consideration.
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