Save Loch Wood Forest School from huge Solar & BESS development
Save Loch Wood Forest School from huge Solar & BESS development
The Issue
Hi, my name is Finlay and I am 10 years old. One of my favourite things about school is going to Forest School to play and learn about nature. My friends and I were on the STV News recently, fighting to save our local outdoor education area at our community owned Loch Wood in rural Blackwood, South Lanarkshire. Over 200 children from our local Primary schools use this space, most of us walking there on foot.
Developers want to build a 432 acre solar and lithium-ion battery storage development across the green space surrounding Loch Wood, with a 100MW battery storage and sub station right next to our education area. If they do this, we will lose the area, as well as fun and learning outdoors which we all enjoy.
Please sign our petition to ask the Scottish Government not to allow this development to go ahead.
Thank you from Finlay, Callum, Darcey, Leighton, Finn, Jessica, Sophia, Ella, Jordan, Joey, Alexander, Fraser, Mitchell, Connie, Ben and all the other children who use Loch Wood Forest School.
Background;
All three school Parent Councils in our small community elected to object against the Rogerhill Farm Solar and Battery Energy Storage System (BESS). South Lanarkshire Council didn't listen to almost 700 objections, and gave the Planning Committee incorrect information about the number of solar panels to be used, citing 3,600 rather than approximately 300,000 which the development will require. The Head of Planning stated at Committee that children's issues were not a valid Planning consideration. That statement ignores the requirements of national planning policy NPF4
Scottish government legislation says that children have a voice and should be heard. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC)was incorporated into Scots Law in 2024, and the Government recently published two detailed guidance documents to help public bodies meet their obligations under this law. These say the rights of children have to be considered, and their voices heard by decision makers .... Planning included.
Proposal for First Children's Rights Scheme:
https://www.gov.scot/publications/proposal-first-childrens-rights-scheme/documents/
Scotland’s Climate Change Plan 2026-2040: Children's Rights Consideration:
https://www.gov.scot/publications/scotlands-climate-change-plan-2026-2040-childrens-rights-consideration-document/documents/
One of the UNCRC considerations is the right of children to play, learn and engage in nature. Neither the developer, South Lanarkshire Council, nor the Energy Consents Unit (ECU) of the Scottish Government have engaged with local children about this development. The ECU have consistently refused to carry out a Children's Rights Welfare Impact Assessment, best practice under UNCRC. Neither will they provide any information on how they otherwise intend to comply with their own legislation and guidelines on UNCRC when determining this development.
We are looking to gather 2000 signatures to bring this to the attention of Scottish Government decision makers, and ask them to follow their own legislation so that we, and our children, CAN be heard about the impact of this major development.
Further Information:
*You can find our STV News piece on the STV news website:
*You can find the filmed SLC Planning consent meeting on YouTube:
*You can view a short video about 'What Loch Wood Means To Me' , the thoughts from children at one of our local schools:
*The construction of this development will take a minimum of 18 months, potentially far longer. This means an extra 135 vehicles using our local roads daily to access the site. These are rural roads, which are also used as a diversion for M74 traffic at times. All of this with 3 local Primary schools along main roads in and out of our villages.
*The outdoor education area, known as Loch Wood, is one of only 4 sites that have been awarded international Nature30 status by the Scottish Government
*Loch Wood and surrounding area is the home to many species of wildlife, including listed species; such as bats, badgers, otters and owls
*The solar development is to be bigger than the combined villages of Blackwood & Kirkmuirhill at over 432 acres (240 football pitches)
*The development will include a 100MW lithium-ion battery storage and grid transformer the size of 50 shipping containers
*Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) carry inherent risks, primarily the potential for thermal runaway, leading to fires and the release of toxic gases, especially with lithium-ion batteries. They can also be very noisy.
*There were factual errors in the report to the Planning Committee, including a statement the development would require 3,600 solar panels. The number of panels required for the size of the development will actually be in excess of 300,000. Councillors were told there were 55 objections, when the actual number was almost 700
*Blackwood Estate is a deeply historical estate with a restored & listed Dovecote, listed Covenanter graves and links to Robert Burns
*The lifespan of these solar panels is only 40 years, and they are not recycled, so will they be left in situ to rust, or will they go to landfill?
2,303
The Issue
Hi, my name is Finlay and I am 10 years old. One of my favourite things about school is going to Forest School to play and learn about nature. My friends and I were on the STV News recently, fighting to save our local outdoor education area at our community owned Loch Wood in rural Blackwood, South Lanarkshire. Over 200 children from our local Primary schools use this space, most of us walking there on foot.
Developers want to build a 432 acre solar and lithium-ion battery storage development across the green space surrounding Loch Wood, with a 100MW battery storage and sub station right next to our education area. If they do this, we will lose the area, as well as fun and learning outdoors which we all enjoy.
Please sign our petition to ask the Scottish Government not to allow this development to go ahead.
Thank you from Finlay, Callum, Darcey, Leighton, Finn, Jessica, Sophia, Ella, Jordan, Joey, Alexander, Fraser, Mitchell, Connie, Ben and all the other children who use Loch Wood Forest School.
Background;
All three school Parent Councils in our small community elected to object against the Rogerhill Farm Solar and Battery Energy Storage System (BESS). South Lanarkshire Council didn't listen to almost 700 objections, and gave the Planning Committee incorrect information about the number of solar panels to be used, citing 3,600 rather than approximately 300,000 which the development will require. The Head of Planning stated at Committee that children's issues were not a valid Planning consideration. That statement ignores the requirements of national planning policy NPF4
Scottish government legislation says that children have a voice and should be heard. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC)was incorporated into Scots Law in 2024, and the Government recently published two detailed guidance documents to help public bodies meet their obligations under this law. These say the rights of children have to be considered, and their voices heard by decision makers .... Planning included.
Proposal for First Children's Rights Scheme:
https://www.gov.scot/publications/proposal-first-childrens-rights-scheme/documents/
Scotland’s Climate Change Plan 2026-2040: Children's Rights Consideration:
https://www.gov.scot/publications/scotlands-climate-change-plan-2026-2040-childrens-rights-consideration-document/documents/
One of the UNCRC considerations is the right of children to play, learn and engage in nature. Neither the developer, South Lanarkshire Council, nor the Energy Consents Unit (ECU) of the Scottish Government have engaged with local children about this development. The ECU have consistently refused to carry out a Children's Rights Welfare Impact Assessment, best practice under UNCRC. Neither will they provide any information on how they otherwise intend to comply with their own legislation and guidelines on UNCRC when determining this development.
We are looking to gather 2000 signatures to bring this to the attention of Scottish Government decision makers, and ask them to follow their own legislation so that we, and our children, CAN be heard about the impact of this major development.
Further Information:
*You can find our STV News piece on the STV news website:
*You can find the filmed SLC Planning consent meeting on YouTube:
*You can view a short video about 'What Loch Wood Means To Me' , the thoughts from children at one of our local schools:
*The construction of this development will take a minimum of 18 months, potentially far longer. This means an extra 135 vehicles using our local roads daily to access the site. These are rural roads, which are also used as a diversion for M74 traffic at times. All of this with 3 local Primary schools along main roads in and out of our villages.
*The outdoor education area, known as Loch Wood, is one of only 4 sites that have been awarded international Nature30 status by the Scottish Government
*Loch Wood and surrounding area is the home to many species of wildlife, including listed species; such as bats, badgers, otters and owls
*The solar development is to be bigger than the combined villages of Blackwood & Kirkmuirhill at over 432 acres (240 football pitches)
*The development will include a 100MW lithium-ion battery storage and grid transformer the size of 50 shipping containers
*Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) carry inherent risks, primarily the potential for thermal runaway, leading to fires and the release of toxic gases, especially with lithium-ion batteries. They can also be very noisy.
*There were factual errors in the report to the Planning Committee, including a statement the development would require 3,600 solar panels. The number of panels required for the size of the development will actually be in excess of 300,000. Councillors were told there were 55 objections, when the actual number was almost 700
*Blackwood Estate is a deeply historical estate with a restored & listed Dovecote, listed Covenanter graves and links to Robert Burns
*The lifespan of these solar panels is only 40 years, and they are not recycled, so will they be left in situ to rust, or will they go to landfill?
2,303
The Decision Makers
Supporter Voices
Petition created on 12 February 2026