'PEAT BURNS'
We are an opposition group to stop substation and battery storage development on Feddal Hill near Braco.
SSEN are planning to build a new substation on Feddal Hill near Braco. This is to accomodate an upgrade in the Beauly to Denny power line from 275kV to 400kV.
The substation, Cambushinnie 400kV Substation, will be ten times the size of the first substation, Braco West Substation, and will be the size of seventeen football pitches.
Attracted by the substation and the easy access into the national grid here, there are also plans by other developers to build 100 battery storage units adjacent to the new substation.
All these developments are to be built on or next to peatbog.
There are ancient peat bogs on Feddal Hill which are probably one meter deep and maybe more.
A fire arising from the transformers and the battery storage units which could transfer into the surounding peat bog is a real concern.The recent fire at a substation near Heathrow has identified how difficult an electrical fire can be to manage.
Peat is good for the environment because it absorbs carbon from the atmosphere. However if peat is excavated the carbon will be released.
The peat on Feddal Hill will be excavated and some will be removed off the hill and some will be moved to the side and kept on the hill.
There will be the potential risk of a peat landslide down the hill as far as the farm below. Moving the peat will potentially alter the drainage characteristics of the ground leading to flooding. Peatlands are important for biodiversity and moving the peat will disrupt this. Damage to peatlands can release polutants like organic carbon and heavy metals and other substances into streams and rivers thus impacting water quality.
Feddal Hill Forestry Estate
Feddal Hill was predominantly a forestry estate until the Beauly to Denny power line came through and the Braco substation was built on the hill. The power line and substation became operational in 2015.
There is still forestry on Feddal Hill. This sign has been here about 30 years telling people who enter Feddal Hill Forestry Estate to please prevent fires.
Our concerns.
We are suggesting that this is not a suitable site for the substation. On top of a hill, exposed to wind and severe weather, and 5.4 miles from the major A9 road. The route to the hill is problematic as its on minor roads and tracks, and a new bypass road around Braco will be need to be built.Thousands of polluting lorries will traverse the haul road to the site causing damage to the environment. All roads leading to the substation site through Braco and Greenloaning, will notice an increase in heavy traffic. A different site lower down and next to a major road for ease of access, should be found.
We are concerned that there is risk of a serious electrical fire on Feddal Hill which could burn for weeks. We want a full investigation of fire risk and methods for fighting a fire on the hill.There should be design changes if necessary to all developments including both substation and battery storage to reduce fire risk.
There will be disruption of drainage in the ground and of ancient water courses. Farms located below the substation will be affected with increased risk of flooding and loss of private water supply. The flooding will likely spread further up the valley to the Feddal burn and Allan Water, as streams and rivers have increased flow and water from Feddal Hill develops new routes.
Excavation of peat is bad for the environment as this results in carbon release. It is bad for biodiversity and can pollute waterways.
The new substation will dominate the hilltop and will be visible from many miles away.
The noise from the substation will be heard by people living on farms below the substation site and also further afield as far as Braco, Greenloaning, Kinbuck, Ashfield and Dunblane. The noise is likely to be a persistent hum and occasional bangs. We are asking that sound deadening measures are put into the substation from the start.
Two planning applications are proposed by SSEN.
The planning applications proposed are,
1. The building of the new substation and the upgrading of the access track on Feddal which leads to the substation.
2. The building of the section of the haul road which will bypass the village of Braco and the narrow B8033 road.
The projects are in the planning phase and have been undergoing community consultation.
We expect that the applications to Perth and Kinross Council will be as early as April 2025 for the substation application and closely followed by the haul road application.
We need to be ready to object and make our comments to the planning department.
The Haul Road and Access Track to the Substation.
Traffic bound for the substation will mainly be heavy lorries carrying infill to make the base for the substation and surfacing for the access road.
When the base is completed the transformers will be brought in. The transformers and the transporter carrying them will be 600 tons in total. The transformer loads will be too large to go through Braco village.
A haul road will be built around Braco to enable the transport of the transformers to the substation.
The new road will cross the fields from the cemetery to the B8033 then accross the christmas tree field to join the access track on Feddal.
Two storage compounds will be built for SSEN parking and storage.
A wheel wash is proposed for vehicles on the exit road.
Concerns about the haul road and access road include.
The haul road to bypass Braco village is unlikely to be in place before the construction of the substation starts. Therefore heavy lorries of up to 200 a day, each way, at peak times, will go through Braco, past the school and up the B8033 and onto Feddal.
Chilren from the school have to cross the road to access the playing field and their lunch in the village hall.
The new rules in which cars now have to park on the roadside and not the kerb, makes the road narrower for larger vehicles.
We are asking SSEN not to start building the substation and access road until the haul road is in place.
The storage compounds will be very large and very visible from surrounding roads and houses.
The wheel wash location is not ideal and may impact on water drainage here. The road adjacent to the proposed wheel wash already floods when we have high rainfall or snow melt.
The surfacing of the access track on Feddal is proposed to be an unmade type one which will result in a mess on the road and will be unsuitable for the domestic households who live on Feddal. This was the case during the building of the last substation and was a nightmare for local people. Damage was caused to cars by the unsuitable road surface. We are asking SSEN for a tarmac road instead.
Battery Storage.
A four unit battery storage compund has already been built on Feddal Hill in recent years. This is a picture of it on the left ( or above if you are on your phone).
Aditionally there are two applications for battery storage on Feddal Hill which have been passed by Perth and Kinross council. Each application is for fifty storage units. The first battery storage application is due to start building this spring, so anytime now.
Our concerns include,
The fire risk on Feddal Hill.
The disturbance of the ancient watercourses, private water supplies and peat.
There is too much development in one place.
The roads and access routes are unsuitable.
The high number of developments will affect local people badly, as there will be no relief from them.
To contact us
Please email. info@peatburns.scot
We have just started our website and will be adding more information soon. The picture to the left, (or above if you are on your phone) is the current Braco substation on Feddal Hill which was completed in 2015
If you would like to be added to our mailing list to receive any updates please send an email to request this.
To view SSEN proposals for the new Cambushinnie/Braco Substation on Feddal Hill near Braco go to
www.ssen-transmission.co.uk/projects
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