Councillors to consider Brewdog treatment plant plans
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Formartine councillors will consider a major new planning application in Ellon from BrewDog next week.
The brewery firm has applied to Aberdeenshire Council for permission to build an anaerobic digestion plant, a water treatment plant, associated energy generation centre and CO2 recovery plant on land adjacent to its Ellon brewery at the town’s Balmacassie Industrial Estate.
The proposed application would enable BrewDog to treat its Organic Processed Liquid (OPL) to supply on-site energy.
The company argues that this would reduce its disposal costs and carbon footprint.
A SUDS basin has been proposed to the west of the site with drainage to existing pipework leading to a culvert to Broomies Burn.
A partial foul water soakaway would be next to the basin.
Concrete bund walling would be installed around some of the new structures and landscaping would also be planted along the northern edge of the site in a bid to address any concerns of overbearing on neighbouring properties.
The plan has received 41 objections which have raised concerns including a potential visual impact, noise and odour impacts, road safety and drainage issues.
Of considerable note is reapeated concerns raised by SEPA over the plan to discharge water to the Broomies Burn, which Brewdog has argued it will have to do as there is no viable way to connect to the mains sewerage.
After three sets of discourse with the agency, SEPA has partially relented saying that this will be allowed until a practical and viable solution can be found.
Despite all of the objections raised Aberdeenshire Council planners have recommended that the application be granted.
In a report to councillors council planners have stated that the proposed structures are “functional and significant in scale” but add that they are “entirely keeping with the industrial estate” and they are “ultimately acceptable”.
The application will be considered by the Formartine Area Committee on Tuesday, January 19.
