Protection has been sought for a bustling coastal caravan site to insure it will not be hit by works for the world’s largest offshore windfarm.
Edinburgh firm Moray Offshore Renewables Ltd (MORL) has already been granted permission to built 186 turbines in the Moray Firth, and is now applying to build the necessary infrastructure.
The firm hope to bring the cables onshore at Boyndie Bay, right next to Banff Links Caravan Park.
Plans were presented to councillors on the Banff and Buchan Area Committee who backed the proposal on condition that the holiday site remain intact.
Due to the scale of the project, a decision on the works will be made by the full council who will hear the committee’s recommendation.
Conservative councillor for Banff and District, Michael Roy, said: “I’m fully supportive of the cable but I think it’s important to keep the caravan park intact.
“We were given assurances on our site visit to Boyndie Bay that the caravan park would not be affected, but when we received the planning papers no such assurances were there.
“I would like our proposal to the full council to include a recommendation to leave the park alone and prevent any economic obstruction to the site and prevent any economic damage to Banff.”
The planned infrastructure package includes the building of landing works at Boyndie Bay, a 20-mile stretch of cabling and two new substations near New Deer. The cables were initially set to make landfall in Fraserburgh but the connection point to the national grid has since been moved.
Banff Links Caravan Park proprietor Norma Duncan said: “It would be important for us that the caravan park and the beach area are not impacted and it’s important the beach is not disturbed during summer months.
“The beach is one of the main reasons people come to our site.”
The park accommodates 50 static caravans as well as 50 tourers, and Mrs Duncan said during the months of July and August this year they have been full “90% of the time”.
Members of the Buchan Area Committee will add their recommendations at a meeting in Peterhead on Tuesday.