Planned Great Barr battery storage facility likened to ‘contained bomb’
Plans for a controversial Battery Energy Storage System have been described as a ‘contained bomb’ at Walsall Council’s planning committee.
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The proposed facility on Chapel Lane, Great Barr, will now be heard at a public inquiry in November after the applicant, Anesco Ltd, lodged a non-determination appeal to the planning inspectorate.
This application comes after a smaller battery storage facility at the site, submitted by Anesco, was refused last summer. Walsall Council’s planning officers have now submitted their appeal with the backing of committee members and residents, the decision now lays in the hands of the planning inspectorate.
If granted, the 3.2 hectare facility near The Duckery would house 44 energy storage units, two substations, new access road off Chapel Lane and a 15m high communications tower. It would be located on a greenbelt conservation area, with several Grade II structures nearby. The intended lifespan of the facility would be 40 years.
