Award of PARD-2025-001 - Invitation To Tender - Battery Energy Storage Systems - Guidance

The Scottish Government (SG) Planning, Architecture & Regeneration Directorate (PARD) would like to commission suitably qualified and experienced contractors to prepare draft guidance on planning for Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS).Over the past few years there has been a rapid increase in the number of applications for BESS development. There is a desire to produce guidance to support Planning Authorities regarding BESS applications, to increase clarity for developers when submitting BESS applications generally, as well as to support more consistent decision-making. The Scottish Government is also conscious that BESS is generating some concerns within communities, particularly where there may be a cumulation of development proposals progressed by different developers. There is opportunity for guidance to provide best practice advice for developers in these circumstances, including at the pre-application stage.The National Planning Hub, which is currently being established by the Scottish Government, provides a vehicle for overseeing the preparation of this guidance and rolling it out, as part of a wider package of interventions to provide direct support to the planning system.