Welcome to the

Scottish Leather Group, Bridge of Weir

Consultation Hub

CONSULTATION

This page has been created to present the Planning Application for a 3 MW ground-mounted solar array development on land at Pannell Farm to residents, the community and interested parties.

The Scottish Leather Group (SLG) is investing in renewable energy to hit their ambitious target of becoming Net Zero by 2025, also benefitting as an end user of the energy generation. This solar array is the most recent renewable undertaking, building on past low carbon measures adopted at their Bridge of Weir site.

If you have any queries or wish to make a comment on this proposal, please use the dedicated enquiry form available below.

The Planning Application has now been submitted and is now validated. Full details will be available on Renfrewshire Councils Planning Portal.

Planning Reference 24/0139/PP.

System Size/Capacity

3 MW

Number of Panels

Approx. 5,545

Area of Solar Array

1.33 ha

Construction Phase

15-20 weeks

Duration of Operational Life

40 years

PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS

Proposed Array Specifications

Through site-specific assessments, the development has evolved to its final design, which has been presented to Renfrewshire Council for review. The array layout consists of:

Panel Type: Jinkosolar JAM 550MB
Array Design: 23 rows of South-facing
Panel Height: 2.7m max, 0.8m min
Table Separation Distance: 4m
Frame Fixtures: Metal frames mounted on pile driven foundations
No. of Inverters: 8

Proposed for the generation of renewable electricity to offset SLG’s draw on the national grid and reduce the carbon footprint of all onsite operations, the array has been designed to optimise the ground available with a private wire connection from the panels to SLG. The GM PV installation proposed will:

Cover around 24% of SLG annual electricity requirements;
Allow carbon savings of approximately 449 tonnes of CO2 per annum, equivalent to planting 40,844 trees; and
Facilitate carbon savings equalling 17.690 tonnes of CO2 over the 40-year lifetime of the project.

Proposed Development

The proposal seeks the installation of a ground-mounted (GM) solar photovoltaic (PV) array development on land at Pannell Farm. The development site lies to the south of the Scottish Leather Group Factory, Bridge of Weir, on undulating open grazed farmland.

Location Plan	View Document
Site Plan	View Document
Zone of Theoretical Visibility	View Document
Visualisation: VP1 Eldin Place	View Document
Visualisation: VP2 Kilbarchan Road	View Document
Visualisation: VP3 Ranfurly	View Document
Landscape Proposal	View Document

Assessments Undertaken

As part of the planning application, various assessments have been carried out that development does not adversely impact the site or surrounding environment and landscape. A summary of the findings of these assessments are presented here.

Landscape and Visual Appraisal

Zones of theoretical visibility (ZTV) have been calculated for the proposal, from which three visualisations have been produced to demonstrate predicted views of the development (see links above). These illustrate that the magnitude of change will be negligible from two locations, with the third classified as medium/low.

To enhance the natural boundaries of the site, a landscape proposal (above link) will look to reinstate and establish hedgerows along the fenceline. This will soften views of the site from the surrounding area whilst also boosting the habitat for local wildlife.

Heritage Impact Assessment

Two Listed Buildings and one Conservation Area were identified within a 2km study area as having potential visibility of the proposal. Impact therefore could occur to the setting of these assets which could impact their understanding, appreciation or experience. Assessment concludes that impact on heritage assets and/or their setting from the array is not considered to be to an extent to afford significant detrimental change.

Ecology

Site surveys and assessment concludes that there is currently low ecological value for onsite habitat. Through the implementation of the recommendations included within the Landscape Proposal, the project could increase the value of the site for biodiversity to the benefit of wildlife.

Glint and Glare

To ensure no risk of glint and glare, assessment was completed for residential and roadway receptors. The site is largely hidden from sight by local topography, vegetation and the stone wall bounding Kilbarchan Road. Where views are achieved, they are filtered or at an angle to the direction of travel.

The impact of significance is deemed to be low and whilst mitigation is not required, the landscaping proposed will further lessen this affect.

Residues, Emissions and Waste

Noise and vibration emissions will be generated during the construction phase of works, limited to between 08:00 – 19:00hrs Monday – Friday and 08:00 – 13:00 on Saturday, with no works proposed on Sundays or Public and Bank Holidays.

Operational noise will be limited, with the inverters positioned in a containerised kiosk onsite.

No waste residues or emissions to air will be generated as a result of the proposed development.

Access and Transport Management

To ensure safe access to and from this site, all vehicles will use the main entry to the SLG Factory, with vehicle numbers kept to a minimum.

Where possible, peak periods on the road will be avoided.

Drainage Strategy

Assessment found only surface water flooding onsite, contained to the south of the field. As solar panels can cause a minor increase in surface water runoff, causing soil erosion and the creation of channelised flows, mitigating filter strips as designed into the array.

PROJECT CONTACTS

Cogeo Planning & Environmental Services are working on behalf of Bluestone Energy Ltd., to complete the planning and environmental assessments required to seek planning permission from the Local Planning Authority, Renfrewshire Council.

Bluestone Energy Ltd.

Bluestone Energy Ltd. is one of the UK leaders in the development of renewable technologies, leading the battery storage market and offering professional services within the High Voltage (HV), and Extra High Voltage (EHV) electrical distribution industry.

The company's aim is to create a sustainable future via smart green energy solutions, by helping to reduce the current dependency on fossil fuels, assisting in driving down escalating energy costs, and reducing harmful carbon emissions in support of Net Zero.

Founded in the UK in 2018, Bluestone Energy Ltd. has built an enviable pipeline of over 30GW in projects around the UK for solar, battery energy storage, and onshore wind infrastructure, with customers ranging between local authorities, water companies, utilities, and large corporate businesses.

Bluestone Energy Ltd. aim to continue to facilitate engineered electricity storage and renewable energy generation solutions to a variety of applications and system requirements. The company set a target of delivering 15GW of renewable energy by 2035 (almost 25% of the UK’s ambition).

Scottish Leather™ Group

Scottish Leather Group is committed to the United Nations Global Compact, often referred to as the UN Global Compact, a voluntary initiative launched by the United Nations in 2000 that aims to encourage businesses and organizations worldwide to adopt sustainable and socially responsible policies and practices. The Group also measures their Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) performance against the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and in 2020, became a signatory to the Race to Zero Campaign and the Science-Based Targets Initiative, both important global efforts focused on addressing climate change and advancing sustainability.

The ‘Ren Zero’ campaign launched by Renfrewshire Council, has the ambition to achieve net zero emissions by 2030, in response to the climate emergency declared by the local authority in 2019 as well as the Scottish Government’s target of net zero emissions by 2045.

The proposed Solar PV installation at Scottish Leather Group is in line with the ‘Ren Zero’ campaign, calling for businesses to take action and accountability on climate change and reduce their carbon footprint.

PLANNING HISTORY

Given the scale of development, Cogeo submitted a Screening Opinion Request to Renfrewshire Council’s Planning Department for comment in September 2023. The Opinion issued by Renfrewshire Council in December 2023 confirmed that the proposal does not require an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).

Following the issue of this Opinion, Cogeo has worked alongside Bluestone Energy and SLG to compile the necessary documents for submission of a full Planning Application seeking permission for the array and associated infrastructure.

ENQUIRY FORM

If you’ve any questions or comments to make on this project at this stage, please complete the form below. The Project Team will track these comments throughout, and provide a response where required.

Form Privacy Statement

By completing this form you are agreeing that we can hold and process your personal data in relation to this consultation exercise.

We will only share your personal data with the planning team for planning evaluation purposes only.
Your identifiable, personal data will not be used for any other purposes without your consent.