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Battery storage scheme: Caley Thistle lodges complaint against Highland councillor

The club has already said it will appeal a decision to overturn planning approval for £40m project.

Scot Gardiner (centre) arriving at Highland Council HQ on Thursday with some of his Caley Thistle colleagues. Image: Sandy McCook/DC Thomson
Scot Gardiner (centre) arriving at Highland Council HQ on Thursday with some of his Caley Thistle colleagues. Image: Sandy McCook/DC Thomson

Caley Thistle has made a complaint against a Highland councillor after its bid to secure permission for a battery storage scheme was blocked.

The move was revealed by club CEO Scot Gardiner following a crucial council vote that overturned approval for the £40m project.

ICT had earmarked a site at Fairways Business Park for the development to store up to 50MW of electricity.

Councillors overturn approval

Highland Council’s south planning applications committee voted 3-2 last month to grant permission for the project against officials’ recommendations.

But 30 councillors later signed a notice of amendment which referred the decision to the full council to reconsider.

The application was then rejected by 30 votes to 23.

ICT said it will appeal to the Scottish Government.

It also has an ongoing legal challenge as well as Freedom of Information questions lodged about the process.

Scot Gardiner, ICT CEO, attended the council meeting when the battery storage scheme was rejected. Image Sandy McCook/DC Thomson

In addition, it has also lodged a complaint with the Ethical Standards Commissioner against councillor Paul Oldham, the planning committee’s vice-chairman, who voted against the plan.

Mr Oldham sent an email to fellow councillors saying he and committee chairman Thomas MacLennan were uncomfortable with the way the issue was decided.

His message said: “It’s not a good look for the council when so few of us make such an important decision, especially as only one of us was from an Inverness ward and none from the ward in question.

“But at the time we accepted it and moved on.”

Councillor Oldham said he was subsequently made aware that the decision could be reconsidered by the full council if 19 councillors sign the notice of amendment, including five members of the planning committee.

Mr Oldham told the Press and Journal at the time: “It doesn’t look good for democracy with only five members out of a committee of 15 being eligible to vote on a decision.”

Club ‘bewildered’ by move

The club said it was “absolutely bewildered” by the “highly irregular and unheard of move” by the council.

Mr Gardiner said the club has now lodged a complaint against Mr Oldham as part of its challenge.

He said: “The legal challenge is ongoing. One councillor involved in the appallingly biased behaviour has been reported to the ethical standards commissioner.”

Councillor Paul Oldham

Mr Oldham said he did not know a complaint had been made.

He responded: “I’ve no idea if I have been and don’t know why I’ve been reported.

“As far as I’m aware I’ve followed the rules, I’ve taken advice. If I haven’t then I’m sure it will come out.”

The office of the Ethical Standards Commissioner said it was unable to comment at this time.

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