Plans to build a powerhouse within a remote Perthshire village have been deemed ”totally unacceptable”.
Residents of Butterstone, near Dunkeld, fear the proposals will ruin the ”peace and tranquillity” that draws many people to the area.
Although they support the Buckny hydro run-of-river scheme, locals have spoken out against the possible location of the generator, as it will sit just 46m from the nearest property.
Despite assurances that noise levels will not exceed 70 decibels at night (the equivalent of normal conversation from a 1m distance), visits to similar projects at Broom and Dowally have raised significant concerns.
Among those who have spoken out against the plans is Sheila Mannion, who revealed that she and her husband moved to the area 14 years ago to enjoy the quiet life.
She told planning officials: ”I am totally in favour of renewable energy and in hydroelectric schemes and I believe that this particular scheme is a good one.
”I am, however, very unhappy about the proposed siting of the generator/turbine house.
”This is an industrial building within the footprint of the village and that surely cannot be within the scope of the policy 11 Highland Area Local Plan 2000.
”The size of the turbine house is likely to be bigger than the house next to it this is an absurdity and must not be allowed.”
Fellow villager Brendan Turvey could be among those worst affected, as the powerhouse would be built within 67m of his home.
He has raised an objection against the application by Buckny Hydro LLP, highlighting his ”very serious” concerns.
”At both Broom and Dowally sites, the noise from the turbine house was clearly audible at similar distances to my property from the proposed powerhouse at Buckny,” he wrote.
”At Dowally, I was able to hear the turbine at over 130m.”
Those raising objections believe, after conducting their own research, that the effects of noise at Butterstone would be ”considerably” worse than at the existing schemes.
There are also fears that planting trees as a screen at Buckny would make very little difference to noise levels.
Mr Turvey added: ”The screening effect of the burn at Broom did not reduce the transmission of noise from the powerhouse, as claimed by the applicant’s noise assessment.
”In fact, at over 100m on the far side of the burn in dense woodland, the powerhouse was not only audible, but loud enough to be of serious concern.
”If this situation was repeated in Butterstone, almost every property in the village would be affected because high frequency noise does not mask low frequency noise, nor does the sound of the burn travel as far as the noise of the powerhouse.”
Some homeowners believe that the development could damage house values.
Robert and Violet Hester live closest to the possible location of the turbine building.
They stated: ”Having the proposed building and the works, i.e. transformers, steel fencing, concrete headwalls, railings and spillway all executed within the immediate vicinity of our property is going to have a devastating impact on its value.
”With the largest elevation of the powerhouse being 10m wide and 6m high facing toward the burn, the screening proposed using conifer planting will be totally inadequate to shield its vision, even partially, and as regards to screening around the spillway, we feel this is going to be impossible.”
An environmental impact assessment has since been carried out and concluded that any possible negative impacts of the scheme were ”relatively well balanced” against the benefits.