A 42 megawatt solar farm covering some 200 acres of a former Angus wartime listening post has been given the green light by councillors.
Development standards committee members yesterday unanimously approved the Lightsource SPV60 Ltd scheme for the 88-hectare site at Montreathmont Moor, east of Forfar, which will see thousands of photovoltaic panels located in a sprawling scheme covered by around 40 surveillance cameras.
The application designated a major application by the local authority in light of its generating capacity takes in ground around the former base of Angus wireless operators who eavesdropped on Hitler’s bunker during the Second World War.
Angus officials recommended the solar farm scheme for approval after a series of reports including a breeding bird survey, glint and glare assessment and archeological study were submitted by the applicant.
No statutory consultee objections were submitted in relation to the plan, and the Ministry of Defence said the Montreathmont site lay outwith its safeguarding areas.
Council head of planning and place Vivien Smith’s report concluded: “The proposal will have limited landscape impact, and visual impact will similarly be extremely limited due to the enclosed nature of the site.
“Support offered by the occupant of the closest residential property is noted and has been taken into account.”
Access to the 219-acre site, bounded on all sides by Montreathmont Forest, will be taken from the B9113 Forfar to Montrose road.
The heavily wooded area was home to the listening station manned by members of the Royal Corps of Signals during the Second World War who performed a key intelligence role.
As one of the major sub-stations of the Bletchley Park code-breaking centre, Montreathmont was simply known as PO Box 25 and opened in the spring of 1943.
It housed more than 100 personnel engaged in special enemy agent and intelligence interception work, which ceased in late 1945.
However, Montreathmont continued to be used for special communications for MI6 as well as for diplomatic embassies.