'Grave' concerns over 100 holiday chalets near battery storage site

Plans to build nearly 100 holiday chalets in a Midlothian country park have sparked ‘grave reservations’ among councillors.

A meeting of Midlothian Council’s planning committee heard that a pre-application notice had been lodged with the local authority for the development at Dalkeith Country Park.

However, Councillor Colin Cassidy said he was concerned by the proximity of the holiday homes to a proposed battery storage site, which he said was being put forward by the same company.

Councillor Cassidy told the meeting: “I have grave reservations about this development when I look at it. The same company or the same organisation have applied to build a battery storage unit no more than 300 metres away from where this application is being sought.

“It may not be a planning aspect but it is a human aspect that we have a big enough problems with a school with over 2,000 children next door to where they are planning to put a battery storage unit that doesn’t fit well in a community like that so I would strongly advise them to look at their plans again.”

Fellow committee member Margot Russell backed Mr Cassidy’s views adding she had additional concerns about the impact of the chalets on nearby Salters Road adding: “It is coming in from a very busy road.”

The committee heard that while a previous plans for chalets at the country park had involved 200 units but had not gone ahead the current one had been reduced to proposing just 98 chalets.

Councillors were told their concerns would be taken into account when officers came to deal with any application which is put forward.

The battery storage site, which was granted permission by the Scottish Government’s Energy Consent Unit last year is currently the subject of a judicial review after Midlothian Council raised concerns that its views on its proximity to the Dalkeith schools campus and a lack of evacuation plans and risk management in the event of fire were not properly considered.