Anger as planning permission granted to relocate spaceport’s antenna park amid opposition and claims of flawed process
A controversial proposal to relocate the antenna park for the proposed Sutherland spaceport from its main site on the A’Mhoine peninsula to the top of nearby Ben Tongue, has been given the go-ahead.
Members of the North Planning Applications Committee granted planning permission for the move as well as changes to the layout of the spaceport site at their meeting in Inverness on Tuesday.
However, committee chairman Drew Millar called for greater public involvement in a community liaison group set up to inform local people about the spaceport.
Following the decision, an objector described both the application and the planning process as “shambolic, dissembling, and shoddy from the outset”.
Space company Orbex is developing and will run the £20 million Sutherland Spaceport, which was originally granted planning permission in August 2020. Work has already started on the access road.
But Orbex submitted a new planning application earlier this year, saying the trajectory of rockets launched into space could not be tracked from the A’Mhoine site and the antenna park would be better placed at the top of Ben Tongue.
Orbex also sought permission to reroute the access track to the spaceport, which runs north-west from the A838 in a bid to avoid deeper areas of peat and cause less disturbance to water crossings.
The application received eight objections and six letters of support. Tongue Community Council was in favour.
Objectors, including Wildland Ltd, the conservation and eco-tourism firm run by Danish entrepreneur Anders Holch Polvsen, were concerned about lighting and noise on the summit of Ben Tongue from the rocket launches, particularly those taking place at night, as well as the impact of increased traffic and visitors.
But Highland Council planning officers recommended that the application be approved, saying that on balance it was considered to be “acceptable”, and pointing out there was already telecommunications infrastructure at the top of Ben Tongue.
Planning officer Claire Farmer said: “As the site (on Ben Tongue) is adjacent to an existing 29m mast, it is not considered that the development would significantly alter the character of the area, given that the antenna park infrastructure is much lower in height, and from many views is seen behind the mast.
“The antenna park is also on lower ground, away from the peak of Ben Tongue.The proposed antennae are collapsible and will only be upright when launches are proposed. It is not considered that the development would significantly alter the character of the area.”
However, objector Rachel Broughton, whose home is next to the track that will be used to access the summit, said: “The Ben Tongue application has been shambolic, dissembling, and shoddy from the outset.
“The manner of its passing through the committee stage continued in the same muddled vein, and we can look forward to a long drawn out period of confusion as the multitude of conditions are disentangled.
“The cost of this to my husband and myself in stress, worry, and failing health is incalculable. It is a chaotic mess, with no end or rockets in sight.”
Committee chairman Drew Millar said: “One of the members raised a point about the community liaison group, which I think is quite important.
“It is important given some of the correspondence that I have had that the community liaison group or the company does liaise properly and sort out any local issues rather than some people having to send numerous emails to councillors trying to highlight issues that should be resolved locally.”
Ms Farmer replied that she would be happy to engage with Orbex to make sure they sent out invitations to local residents to attend community liaison group meetings.