North Lanarkshire pony club battle to save their business
A riding school in Newarthill is battling to block a battery storage facility from being built next to them
Last updated 16th Nov 2023
Renewable energy experts, Aputura, have bought farmland in Newarthill, North Lanarkshire and are planning to house lithium batteries in metal containers on the site.
The units will release enough energy to power 75,000 homes and save over 100,000 tonnes of carbon annually.
But locals have described the move as “disappointing” and are concerned about the future of their businesses.
Taylor Bourke, owner of Miehaven Pony Club, which sits next to the proposed site, worries for the future of her family-run business.
She said: “As a young business owner, I really do fear for the impact of this on my horses, my business and my life.
“We already struggled through covid and lockdown, and this is another hurdle we‘ll need to overcome – it feels like an injustice.”
Miehaven Pony Club sits next door to the planned battery site and shares a thoroughfare.
Bourke says because of the proximity, there is the potential for her horses to get spooked by HTVs and injure riders.
Bourke added: “During construction, there will be constant traffic of HGVs as well as other plant lorries.
“This will upset and panic the horses, which are flight animals and could cause accidents to the children and adults riding them.
“We just can’t risk the safety of our clients and horses, both mentally and physically.”
AAH Consultations, who are acting on behalf of the applicants, have said that the traffic will be limited to the construction phase.
But Bourke says the noise will be too much for her students, and she would have to close for the year with no guarantee of re-opening.
She said: “My pony club is called Miehaven, but my clients called it ‘my haven’ as that’s what it's become.
“We can’t ask people to come to a place that’s supposed to be their safe haven if it’s not going to be safe or peaceful anymore.
“It’s already having a serious effect on our clients because many of them have autism or are vulnerable people.
“We know that because of the sheer stress of the situation, this will have a lasting impact on them and their mental health.”
Amy Elliot, who rides at Miehaven, says the riding school is her sanctuary, and she’ll be devastated if it closes.
She said: “I struggle with my learning disabilities, and ever since leaving school, I felt lost, but going to Miehaven made me so much happier again, and I don’t know what I’d do if I didn’t have it.”
“They help lots of people with disabilities, and I don’t want this to ruin everyone’s special place.”
Parents at the local primary school are also particularly worried about the health and safety risks the batteries pose.
They say they’re worried about the batteries catching on fire and how they'd manage to evacuate the town.
Local mum Lesley Dunlevy said: “Lithium batteries require specialist equipment to put out any fires.
“If something were to happen at the battery plant, the access road isn’t designed for a major incident response.”
“The plant’s in the centre of a village, right next to a school, and if an evacuation was to take place, because of the way lithium batteries burn, there wouldn't be enough time to evacuate the whole village.”
Locals also worry that the facility will be an “eye sore” if the plans get the green light.
Dunlevy added: “Where they're building the plant is a greenspace, and it’s a woodland walk that’s been developed by the community council.
“It’s just a beautiful space that’s about to be destroyed.”
We've contacted AAH Consultations for a response.
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