Huge battery compound ‘crucial’ in cutting bills and stopping blackouts refused

Councillors have refused permission for a battery compound in the countryside north of Bristol described as “crucial” in cutting bills and preventing blackouts. For a second time they decided that protecting open countryside from development should take priority over the battery plans.

Immersa, the company behind the controversial plans at Earthcott Farm in South Gloucestershire, threatened to legally challenge the decision. Representatives said their 200-megawatt battery compound would protect schools and hospitals from power blackouts.

The decision was taken by the spatial planning committee at South Gloucestershire Council on Thursday, June 20. The committee first heard from local residents and councillors about their concerns.

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Marion Reeve, from Alveston Parish Council, said: “Do we really want vast amounts of the country becoming wind farms, solar farms and now battery farms? Lithium explosions are very dangerous. Nuclear is also known to be dangerous — the difference with this project is the nuclear plants are not being built in a field behind homes where the people of Earthcott live. This is absolutely horrendous, to have something like this so close.”

She also raised concerns about the risk of a fire from batteries overheating. But experts from Avon Fire and Rescue were consulted on the planning application, and told the council they were happy for the battery compound to be built, with adequate fire safety measures in place.

Sian Griffiths, representing Immersa, said: “This development would provide energy security to the 300,000 people in South Gloucestershire, protecting the electricity supply in the event of a grid failure. This proposal comprises 200 megawatts of storage capacity, sufficient to supply the homes in South Gloucestershire and Stroud with power for six hours. This project will protect schools, homes, hospitals and emergency services from power blackouts on the wider grid.

“This isn’t just about net zero. Gas-fired generators using expensive imported natural gas have massively increased energy bills over the last two years. Battery storage helps reduce energy bills by undercutting these expensive generators and maximising the use of low-cost renewable energy, crucial in this cost-of-living crisis.”

However the committee decided to refuse permission, as the compound would be built on the Green Belt, a protected area of the countryside. A separate committee also refused permission for the same plans last month, for similar reasons.

Conservative Councillor Liz Brennan said: “We have to work out the balance with this and the Green Belt. I think we need to create a better policy on this, otherwise we’re just going to keep getting these sites which will likely be on the Green Belt, and we need better guidance for developers. I think this would potentially harm the Green Belt and it’s inappropriate.”