Angus planning officials say a 30MW solar scheme near Forfar should be blocked because of the “significant harm” it would have on the area.
Locals living near the Cotton of Lownie site will learn next week whether they have been successful in stopping the “industrial scale” development.
It is the latest stage in their two-year fight against the scheme.
People living there say it will spoil the “bread basket of Scotland”.
Arable land on either side of the B9128 Forfar to Carnoustie road has been chosen as the site for the solar array. The project also features a 6MW battery storage plant.
In total it would occupy around 50 hectares.
The solar farm would generate power for Laird Bros., one of Scotland’s biggest concrete firms.
The long-established block manufacturer say it would be a UK first in the sector.
Plans for the Lownie land first emerged in 2022.
Developer Industria Resources tweaked the scheme in the wake of local public consultation events and community feedback.
Three planned areas of PV panels were reduced to two.
The main array would occupy more than 40 hectares of sloping ground east of the B9128 and south of the Forfar to Letham road.
Almost 300 letters of representation
But there have been hundreds of objections to the plan.
Three local community councils are against the application.
The groups at Forfar, Letham and Inverarity fear the loss of prime farmland and have raised other concerns including road safety and flooding.
They also want to see a greater community benefit from the scheme.
Locals say it has been a major worry hanging over their heads for two years.
In April, campaigner Pam Hamilton said: “I would urge any councillor called on to vote on this project, to really ask themselves if, in all good conscience, this can be approved.
“We are the ones who will be stuck with this.”
Official refusal recommendation
Angus development standards councillors will consider the Lownie bid on Tuesday.
But a refusal recommendation has been attached to the application.
Planning officials say the negatives outweigh the renewable benefits the solar scheme will generate.
They want the applicant to go back to the drawing board.
“In summary, the proposal would deliver significant benefit. And there is a favourable policy context for renewable energy development,” says the official report.
“However, policy also requires proposals to have regard to landscape character.
“It requires significant adverse landscape and visual impacts to be appropriately mitigated.”
Officers say landscape and visual impacts would not just be localised.
“The supporting justification for the proposal and the benefits it would provide, including helping reduce carbon emissions from a local business have been considered.
“There is no overriding need for this development in this location that would justify departure from the development plan.
“There is no evidence to demonstrate the proposal could not reasonably be modified in a manner that would continue to deliver benefits, but without causing the significant adverse harm associated with this application.”
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