Lichfield councillors defer battery energy storage site decision
Lichfield councillors have delayed their decision on a battery energy storage site earmarked for land near Brownhills so highways details and residents’ objections can be considered further.
The district council’s planning committee is also set to visit the land west of Lions Den, Hammerwich, where the development would be in place for up to 50 years if granted permission.
Committee members agreed to defer the application at their meeting on Monday (June 30), after considering it for more than an hour.
Councillor David Salter said: “A lot of information has come to the table this evening and I think it’s only right we fully understand and absorb all this information before we make a decision.”
Planning officers at Lichfield District Council have recommended the application for approval. But there have been 34 public objections to the proposal, raising concerns about harm to the Green Belt, road safety, fire risk and noise from cooling fans.
Hammerwich Parish Council has also objected, stating that the proposed site is next to the field where the Staffordshire Hoard was discovered. And Midland Expressway Limited has raised concerns about the site’s location near the M6 Toll carriageway.
Councillor Leona Leung, who called in the application for discussion by the planning committee, said: “I support a drive to renewable energy but it must be done correctly, in the right place and not inappropriate development in the Green Belt. There is plenty of brownfield land and quarries much closer to the substation for connection – note this proposal requires 3.6km of connection cables.
“It seems there is a sudden rush of endless planning applications for battery energy storage systems through Staffordshire and the UK. This is due to large profits, alongside no national regulation of battery energy storage system safety – it needs to be seriously questioned whether this should be allowed.
“Your committee can stop these large companies taking advantage of Lichfield District’s green belt. By allowing this application, a precedent has been set.”
A report to the planning committee said officers had concluded the land, located in the within the West Midlands Green Belt, “would constitute grey belt land” however. It added: “Officers have also undertaken an assessment of the proposal if it were not to be considered grey belt land, for completeness, concluding that material considerations indicate that Very Special Circumstances exist and the proposal should be supported on Green Belt land.”
The application has been put forward by Elgin Energy, which has also submitted battery energy storage system (BESS) proposals in South Staffordshire District. David Pickford from Elgin Energy, who spoke in support of the application at Monday’s meeting, said: “The development will increase much needed battery energy storage capacity within the UK in an optimum location able to connect to existing infrastructure, to an existing substation with capacity and agreement to connect, whilst located in a suitable position screened by the disused railway embankment to the north and tucked in next to existing road infrastructure in the south, away from residential properties and away from risk areas.
“The site comprises Grade 3b agricultural land and therefore the development avoids the use of best and most versatile agricultural land, whilst also crucially located within a viable distance from Burntwood substation, to provide a secure quick connection and help contribute towards meeting climate change and emission reduction targets. The site is located within the grey belt and does not comprise inappropriate development in the green belt.”
