Cockenzie BESS: Demonstration plan at Scottish Parliament

The BESS is proposed for agricultural land next to a brownfield site south of Inglis Farm, but many residents are concerned about the development.

CACB (Communities Against Cockenzie BESS) has formed and will take to Holyrood on May 22. 

READ MORE: Concerns over Cockenzie battery energy storage system

Colin Dunn, 72, a member of the group and organiser of the protest, spoke to the Courier about their concerns. 

Port Seton resident Mr Dunn, a retired police officer who worked in the force for 33 years and as a security manager for 10 years at Torness Power Station, said: "At the moment, we are ramping up our campaign with leafleting and speaking to the public about BESS, as we are gravely concerned about a site like this being so close to the community with the potential of evacuations of houses and schools. 

"I believe there should be more consistency in standards to where battery energy storage systems should be located, as I do not believe that there is a consistent approach with BESS. 

"Battery energy storage systems do have a regulatory body but I do not believe they are as heavily regulated like other power facilities. 

"The planned development is in the wrong place. We are talking about a site that is 50 metres from housing, 100 metres or so from a school and a GP practice." 

Mr Dunn lives about a mile and a half from the site. His granddaughter and her parents live very close to Inglis Farm.

He said: "If the council do not stand up for my granddaughter, granddad will."

Protestors Colin Dunn, Anne Diack and Dr Brian Hall at the proposed BESS site (Image: CACB: Communities Against Cockenzie BESS)

On taking their concerns to Holyrood, on the day when First Minister's Questions normally occurs, Colin said: "Our council leaders are not listening to us and our safety concerns for our community, so we are taking our case to the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood.

"People have read the leaflets, given support and opposition, and now is the time to show it.

"Get it in the diary, make your placards, clear your voice and be ready to defend our communities of Cockenzie, Port Seton and, yes, Prestonpans too, against the safety threat of one of the biggest BESS sites in Europe. 

"There will also be a petition circulated shortly regarding the lack of a consistent framework in Scotland regarding such issues like proximity to housing."

READ MORE: Flesh-dissolving acid warnings at battery storage site

The BESS application will be decided by the Scottish Government’s Energy Consent Unit.

At a meeting of East Lothian Council's planning committee earlier this year Jamie Scott, appearing as the agent for the applicant Cockenzie Storage Ltd, stressed that emergency plans were in place in the event of something going wrong at the facility and it would be monitored remotely for signs of problems.

Ben Morse, chair of Cockenzie & Port Seton Community Council, said: "It speaks volumes about strength of feeling that members of the community have felt the need to found the CACB campaign group, let alone arrange a protest at the Scottish Parliament.

"Unfortunately it speaks to a longstanding feeling of a democratic deficit which is often expressed within our community: where development, even involving our own local authority, is perceived as something which is done to us rather than by, with or for us.

"Beyond the local picture, there is a concerning national policy gap which must be addressed and which the Cockenzie application demonstrates well.

"The community council, having identified this and discussed with other affected communities, is working to lodge a petition with the Scottish Parliament to address some of these policy and regulatory issues, and hopes to be able to share this more widely with our community, CACB, our neighbours in Prestonpans and the rest of Scotland shortly."