Communities rattled after option to object to energy projects via email scrapped

The Scottish Government’s Energy Consents Unit (ECU) confirmed this week that it will no longer accept public objections by email.

Instead, people are being required to submit representations only through the Energy Consents website or by post.

The Scottish Government said the change was made to simplify the process.

The move has angered communities in the south of Scotland, which is home to the highest concentration of battery storage developments among other significant renewable energy projects.

The Scottish Government is encouraging a significant rollout of renewable energy developments to reach its ambitious net zero 2045 plans.

Campaign groups in the Borders said the local authorities were only given 24-hour notice of the decision to scrap email objections, claiming the Minister for Public Finance Ivan McKee wrote to councils on 15 January advising them of the change, which came into force the following day.

Since the announcement, residents have reported trying to use the portal, only to find that all attempts to submit a comment were rejected for any of the windfarm applications currently in the pipeline.

Some have complained the change will make it harder for members of the public to raise concerns and easier for objections to be constrained within a centralised portal.

Rory Steel, chair of Lauderdale Preservation Group, said the move was done without any consultation.

“The primary route used by ordinary people to make their voice heard on windfarms has been suddenly withdrawn, without any public explanation,” he said.

“This is totally undemocratic and directly affects the ability of people to participate in decisions that reshape the landscape and make a huge difference to their local area.

“People in the Scottish Borders recognise the importance of renewable energy, but we are being blanketed in giant turbines that are visible for miles around, not to mention solar farms, battery storage sites and pylons.

“The ECU is rubber-stamping almost every windfarm application, even where the local authority has objected. Now we can’t even make a comment on it – this is a scandal.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “This modernised system is designed to simplify the submissions process, provide instant confirmation that submissions have been received, increase transparency, strengthen safeguards, improve efficiency and enable more consistent analysis and reporting of community concerns.”

The move comes as the ministers announced energy secretary Gillian Martin will no longer determine consents for large-scale onshore energy projects.

Minister for Public Finance Ivan McKee MSP took on the role from last month.

Scottish Conservative and North East MSP, Douglas Lumsden described the move as “an embarrassing climbdown from the SNP’s supposed energy secretary who is completely out of touch with the views of her constituents.”

Mr McKee said: “I am the minister with responsibility for planning and Gillian Martin sensibly proposed that if I was also to take on responsibility for these decisions that this would enable her to more readily engage with communities in a manner that she would otherwise be precluded from doing.

“That is because, like all Ministers, Gillian Martin is acutely aware of her obligations under the ministerial code, not least in respect to planning decisions.

“Our planning and consenting system ensures that local communities can always have their say.”