A village near Buckie has come together to oppose a biomass plant developer eyeing up a site on their doorstep.
More than 100 people, almost the entire population of Rathven, have signed a petition objecting to a development on a site overlooking the village.
Residents have spoken out about how the plant would affect their quality of life.
It is developer Acorn Bioenergy’s latest attempt at a digestion plant in Moray, after a site near Elgin was refused just last week.
The plans are currently in limbo after an objection from Historic Environment Scotland forced Acorn to move the site.
‘Buckie site is wrong choice for biomass plant’
More than 100 residents in Rathven have signed the petition, which was accepted by Moray Council’s development management and building standards manager Neal MacPherson and councillor Scott Lawrence this week.
The petition outlines local concerns of detrimental HGV traffic, smell and noise coming from the plant if it was to go ahead.
Local resident Scott Farquhar has lived in Rathven for 10 years and spent time gathering signatures for the petition.
“I’m not against the type of plant, It’s a good idea,” he said. “It’s just not the right area for it.”
“It’s not something the majority of the people in Rathven want in the area.”
He said the landscapes around Rathven haven’t changed since he moved there and the village values its rural surroundings with an “abundance” of local wildlife.
Mr Farquhar added: “There’s so much biodiversity in the area it would be a shame for that to be disturbed.”
“You just want to sit and enjoy your garden and your surroundings.”
Fears about ‘colossal’ amount of biomass traffic on Buckie road
Ryan Taylor has also lived in Rathven for 10 years and was the village representative handing over the petition over to Moray Council.
Mr Taylor said many of the road safety objections the village have are similar to the recently refused Elgin proposal, and says Acorn have again chosen the wrong site.
“The risks are greater down here because of the already high volume of HGVs,” he said.
“The fact we’ve had an accident on that road exactly adjacent to the new site just highlights it is a dangerous stretch of road.”
A transport assessment from Acorn for the previous site entrance concluded there was enough capacity on March Road for the site and “will not result in any operational or safety issues.”
Mr Taylor added the scale of the proposal will feel like “living inside an industrial estate.”
He said his family would consider moving away from Rathven if the development was to go ahead.
Villagers fear smell from Rathven biomass plant
Doug Milton, a local resident in Rathven, said there is nothing Acorn could do to convince him to support the development.
Mr Milton said: “The actual concept of it is a very good thing, however it’s in the wrong place. It’s too near houses.
“Visually, I’ll see it from across the road but it’s the smells that will affect me in my house.”
The plant intends to use “locally grown and sourced” crops and manure as its primary feedstock for the plant, which produces biomethane and can be used as a heat source or fuel.
Distillery draff and pot ale can be added as part of the process, which all breaks down into biogas and can be refined.
Mr Milton estimates there will be 10,000 tonnes of manure delivered each year to the plant.
“That’s colossal,” Mr Milton added. “At some stage that’s got to be exposed and the smell has got to come out.”
Acorn’s biomass plans across Scotland
The Rathven plant’s original proposal hit a roadblock when Historic Environment Scotland took issue with the site’s proximity to a nearby cairn.
This forced the developer to look elsewhere in the field and have indicated they are looking at a site closer to Rathven.
The Buckie plans are one of three projects Acorn has been working on across Scotland.
As well as the recently refused plant in Longmorn near Elgin, Acorn also has an ongoing appeal with the Scottish Government for another refused plant at Balintore in Easter Ross.
Acorn Bioenergy have been contacted for an update on the Rathven plans.
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