Highland Council approves Global Energy Nigg’s plans for new quay at Nigg yard in the Cromarty Firth

Plans for a new quay at Nigg have been approved despite long-standing concerns over noise and the potential impact on wildlife.

Highland Council approved Global Energy Nigg’s application to construct the new quay on a 1.8 hectare site around the eastern side of its existing Inner Dock.

The upgrade is aimed at improving access to the new Sumitomo Electrics cable factory next to the site.

Explaining the reason for the new quay in supporting documents lodged alongside the application, the developer said: “[It] will allow for the finished cables to be directly transferred from storage reels located outside the factory, directly onto carousels located on the deck of the cable installation vessels.”

The company added that this proximity made the new quay more desirable than using existing options for the job as those “would involve longer and more complicated transportation solutions, and added risk of damaging the cable”.

It also stressed that the quay’s location within the port would also result in minimal visual impact or disruption.

The Nigg yard has long been the subject of noise concerns from residents in the area, with people in the likes of Cromarty having raised the issue in the past.

Its location in the Cromarty Firth is also ecologically sensitive.

But granting approval under delegated powers, council officers said they believe the quay's location within the existing port is likely to lead to minimal potential wider impact.

They also believe that conditions they have attached to the development - which include noise monitoring and a Marine Mammal Protection Plan - will provide sufficient protections.

The likes of NatureScot have also not objected so long as conditions are attached.

RSPB Scotland, meanwhile, raised concerns over potential impact on Arctic Terns, noting that they are known to breed at the base of the jetty, and that a proposed Biodiversity Enhancement Plan did not include a Tern Management Plan or provisions for breeding rafts.

Issuing their decision to approve the new quay, the council said: "Although the proposal will introduce additional industrial infrastructure and increased activity within Nigg Yard, this activity is intended to complement the operations at the [neighbouring] HV cable factory and aligns with both national and local policies that support green infrastructure and renewable energy production."

They continued: "Given the existing impacts associated with the Port of Nigg, the proposed development represents only a minor alteration to the baseline visual and environmental amenities. The introduction of the new dock and associated activities is not expected to result in any significant additional visual or landscape impacts beyond those already anticipated from the range of activities currently permitted at Nigg Yard."

Addressing noise concerns, they added: "Given the proximity of Cromarty and the neighbouring residential areas in Balnabruaich and Nigg Ferry, both noise and dust pollution are considerations in the determination of this application.

"The council’s environmental health team have previously investigated complaints from residents in Cromarty about noise from activities at the Port of Nigg, almost exclusively relating to noise from vessels' engines when berthed in the port.

"To date, no statutory nuisance has been established at Cromarty as a result of investigations, and there are no specific shore-based activities linked to existing noise complaints, but the fact remains that this increase in construction and subsequent operational activities will be monitored.

"Environmental health are committed to continuing to monitor noise within the site and wider area (cumulative noise)."

Moving onto construction noises, they continued: "While it is not considered that any additional noise emitted from the operation would be significant, the noise assessment indicates that in worst case scenarios, operational noise levels may slightly exceed the stated noise limits.

"A condition will be applied to provide a wider noise assessment to include cumulative noise within the wider site and adjacent land uses."

Conditions will also be attached restricting construction work to 8am to 7pm on weekdays and 8am to 1pm on Saturdays, with no work allowed on Sundays or bank holidays.

Find out more about planning applications that affect you at the Public Notice Portal.

Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print.