Alvah and Forglen Community Council is a statutory consultee on planning applications. As such it is notified by Aberdeenshire Council, and can make comment, on planning matters which will affect the residents of the area it covers.
Links below are to the Aberdeenshire Council planning website for such applications. The Community Council has commented on the following planning applications:
| APP/2025/0205 | Formation of 35MW Solar Farm, Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) with an Installed Capacity of up to 14.9MW, Substation and Associated Infrastructure |
| Closing date for public comment – 14th April 2025. |
| Members of the public wishing to comment on this application can do so on the Aberdeenshire Council planning application page. |
| The Community Council discussed this application at its meeting on 25th March and made a comment on the application to Aberdeenshire Council. |
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| APP/2024/1812 | Onshore Transmission Infrastructure for Caledonia Offshore Wind Farm including Formation of Onshore Landfall Point, Laying of Underground Cables, Erection of 2 Co-Located Substations, and Associated Works to connect to the Transmission Grid |
| Closing date for public comment – 8th February 2025. |
| Members of the public wishing to comment on this application can do so on the planning application page. |
| The Community Council has submitted comments on this application which involves laying of the underground cables for the Caledonia Offshore Wind farm across Alvah. |
| Map of the cable route across Alvah |
| APP/2019/0017 | Erection of 2 Wind Turbines (Hub Height 78 metres, Total Height 119 metres) and Associated Ancillary Infrastructure; Formation of Borrow Pit | Deuchries Windfarm Aberchirder Aberdeenshire |
| Closing date for public comment – 2nd March 2019. |
| The Community Council unanimously voted to object to this application at a meeting held on 29th January 2019 as it failed to comply with the recommendations of the Strategic Landscape Capacity Assessment for Wind Energy in Aberdeenshire, March 2014 (SLCA) which is noted as a relevant consideration in Policy C2 of the Aberdeenshire LDP 2017 . |
| Members of the public wishing to comment on this application can do so by clicking the Make a Comment button on the planning application pages linked to above. |
| APP/2018/0623 | Conditions 1 (q) (aa) (Cable Route Phase) of Planning Permission in Principle Reference APP/2015/0478 for National for Construction of Onshore Electrical Transmission Cables, Comprising an Onshore Transition Jointing Pit, Underground Cables within a 33km (approximately) Long Cable Corridor and the Construction of 2 No. Substations Southwest of New Deer, also Including Temporary Construction Compounds, Access Tracks, Laydown Areas and Other Associated Works | Landing At Inverboyndie Bay, Banff, Travelling To Land West Of Cairnbanno House New Deer |
| Closing date for public comment – 23rd April 2018. |
| The Community Council has submitted comments on this application which involves trenching and laying of the underground cables for the Moray Offshore Windfarm (East) across Alvah. |
| Members of the public wishing to comment on this application can do so by clicking the yellow Make a Comment button on the planning application pages linked to above. |
| Extraction of Soil and Stone (Retrospective) | Westside Of Forglen, Forglen APP/2017/2942 |
| Closing date for public comment – 19 February 2018. |
| Following representation from local residents at the January 2018 meeting, the Community Council unanimously agreed to object to this application on a variety of issues. |
| Aberdeenshire Council refused the application. |
| The application was appealed to the Scottish Government Planning and Environmental Appeals Division (DPEA). Case Reference and link to DPEA website PPA-110-2369. |
| The Community Council submitted further comments to the DPEA. |
| The Scottish Government DPEA Reporter dismissed the appeal and refused planning permission on the grounds that “even the relatively modest number of anticipated HGV movements would be to the detriment of the safe and convenient use of the roads contrary to policies R3 and RD1“. Full details of the Reporter decision can be found in the decision notice on the DPEA website. |
| Formation of campsite at Forglen APP/2017/3158 |
| Closing date for public comment – 29th January 2018. |
| The Community Council objected to this application amid local concerns that the access road would be unable to cope safely with the increased traffic. |
| Erection of 2 Agricultural Storage Buildings (Retrospective) at Forglen APP/2017/2511 |
| Closing date for public comment – 9th November 2017. |
| The Community Council made observations on the application following a majority vote (with two abstentions) to do so at the October meeting of the community council. |
| Formation of campsite at Forglen APP/2016/2260 |
| Closing date for public comment – 19th September 2016. |
| The Community Council objected to this application amid local concerns that the access road would be unable to cope safely with the increased traffic. At the Banff and Buchan Area Committee meeting of 22nd November 2016 the vote was for a site visit to take place on December 6th 2016. The application was refused. |
| The application was appealed to the Scottish Government Planning and Environmental Appeals Division (DPEA). Case Reference and link to DPEA website PPA-110-2326. |
| The Community Council submitted further comments to the DPEA. |
| The Scottish Government DPEA Reporter dismissed the appeal and refused planning permission on several grounds including “an unacceptable increase in traffic conflict along the access“. Full details of the Reporter decision can be found in the decision notice on the DPEA website. |
| Installation of External Public Access Defibrillator at Forglen Hall APP/2016/1747 |
| Closing date for public comment – 28th July 2016. |
| The Community Council unanimously agreed to support this application at the meeting of 28th June 2016 due to the benefits it was felt this application would have for the local community. The application has been approved. |
| Wind Turbine application at Beechwood APP/2013/2779 |
| Closing date for public comment – 13th June 2016. |
| The Community Council unanimously agreed to object to this application at the meeting of 31st May 2016 due to the adverse effect it was felt this application would have on the local area. |
| Banff and Buchan Area Committee voted to approve the application but following a Judicial Review that approval was quashed. The application was re-submitted and Banff and Buchan Area Committee again voted to approve the application.
However Aberdeenshire Council subsequently revoked that approval and determined, following a meeting of the full council, that the application should be reconsidered by the Infrastructures Services Committee (ISC). The application was refused by the ISC. |
| Further details on the background to what is turning out to be a very controversial application can be seen at the Press and Journal website:
August 16th 2016 https://wpcluster.dctdigital.com/pressandjournal/fp/news/north-east/1000070/public-rally-against-councillors-plans-for-150ft-turbine/ September 6th 2016 https://wpcluster.dctdigital.com/pressandjournal/fp/news/north-east/1019150/controversial-turbine-approved/ October 31st 2016 https://wpcluster.dctdigital.com/pressandjournal/fp/news/north-east/1068661/snp-councillors-accused-of-blatant-cronyism-over-turbine-vote/ January 31st 2017 https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/north-east/1156373/turbine-cronyism-saga-to-finally-end-with-vote-at-public-meeting/ February 4th 2017 https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/north-east/1160509/cronyism-turbine-finally-rejected-after-long-running-legal-battle/ |
| Change of Use and Alterations to Church to Form Dwellinghouse at Alvah Parish Church APP/2016/0988 and APP/2016/0989 |
| Closing date for public comment – 19th May 2016. |
| The Community Council unanimously agreed to support this application at the meeting of 26th April 2016 due to the benefit it would bring to the deteriorating condition of Alvah Church. The application has been approved. |
| Wind Turbine application at Govel Hill APP/2014/2930 |
| Closing date for public comment – 7th November 2014. |
| The Community Council unanimously agreed to object to this application at the meeting of 30th September 2014 due to the adverse effect it was felt this application would have on the local area. The application was refused. |
| Wind Turbine application at Waulkmill Farm APP/2014/1538 |
| Closing date for public comment – 11th August 2014. |
| The Community Council unanimously agreed to object to this application at the meeting of 26th August due to the adverse effect it was felt this application would have on the local area. The application was refused. |
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