Scottish school prepares for court battle over plans for battery storage site

A leading independent school is prepared to take plans for a battery storage site near its grounds to court after what has been described as “a failure of democracy.”

Robert Gordon’s College, in Aberdeen, has been battling plans for the development proposed for a site near its grounds – arguing it could put pupils in danger.

The proposed facility is said to contain 48 lithium-ion batteries within 12 shipping container sized cabinets, near the Craigiebuckler substation.

Battery storage facilities store and release energy generated from renewable sources, such as wind turbines and solar farms, when needed.

Developers argue this new development would help Scotland reach its net zero targets.

Aberdeen councillors previously voted down proposals, submitted by Flexion Energy UK Storage, for land close to the school’s Countesswells playing fields.

But the controversial plans, which gathered more than 100 objections, were last month approved after the firm appealed the case to the Scottish Government.

The school has since contacted north east MSP Liam Kerr about the appeal who, in a letter to the energy secretary Gillian Martin, accused the Scottish Government’s move as a “failure of democracy”.

North east MSP Liam Kerr standing next to the Robert Gordon's College site that the school community is concerned about with the proposed battery site plans | Scottish Conservatives

In his letter, Mr Kerr called on ministers to bring in a regulatory framework to safeguard communities from being over industrialised by battery storage schemes.

Pushback against such developments and the general SSEN energy upgrade system is being felt from all corners of Scotland, from the north east to Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, Skye to the Scottish Borders.

Mr Kerr said the safety of pupils, staff and other sports teams which use the grounds at Robert Gordon’s were being put at risk amid the prospect of a fire breaking out, warning that ministers are failing to respect community decision-making.

He said: “It is entirely understandable that Robert Gordon’s College feels it has been left with no choice but to look at potentially taking this case to the Court of Session.

“Many people tell me that the Scottish Government’s decision to ignore the original outcome of the application, as well as the concerns of both the school and the wider Countesswells community, is a failure of democracy.

“The Scottish Government continues to take the attitude that they know better than local authorities when it comes to vital planning decisions.

“Local planning decisions are made best by those who will be affected by them, not by those living many miles away in Edinburgh.

“It seems clear that the judgement taken by the Scottish Government in this case fails to respect community decision-making.

“Communities like Countesswells are rightly concerned that they are being steamrolled into industrial zones through an unjust transition which residents are overwhelmingly opposed to.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Scottish Ministers appointed a reporter to consider an appeal against the decision of Aberdeen City Council to refuse planning permission for the installation of a grid battery energy storage facility at Newton of Pitfodels.

“The Reporter allowed the appeal after careful consideration of all the information submitted by the parties and an unaccompanied inspection of the site. The outcome of the appeal may be challenged at the Court of Session within 6 weeks of the date of the decision – which in this case is 9 May 2025. No such challenge has yet been received by Scottish Ministers.”

A spokesperson from Flexion Energy said: “Energy storage enables the integration of more renewables on the electricity network, and has been identified as a crucial element required to support energy security and decarbonisation objectives in Scotland and more widely in the UK. Flexion Energy is delighted to be contributing positively to the UK`s net zero objectives."