Residents win fight over massive Staffordshire solar farm

A Cellarhead Substation sign on land off Rownall Road Wetley Rocks
-Credit: (Image: Google Street View)


Residents have won their fight to stop a new battery energy storage site being built on their doorstep. Over 100 residents objected to the plans for the facility off Rownall Road, near the Cellarhead substation.

The proposals for a battery energy storage site (BESS) on land at Newfields Farm were recommended for approval by planning officers. The 2.48 hectare (6.13 acre) agricultural field would have had 14 sets of battery energy storage racks, as well as a substation in its own compound with equipment up to 6.5m in height.

Ian Podmore representing the Save the Rownall and Bagnall campaign told councillors: “If approved this application will be the third major independent commercial battery storage business given consent in Rownall, with another four pending. It occupies just five per cent of the land earmarked to build seven separate major sized standalone battery sites and one of the largest solar farms in the UK.

READ MORE:Police use stinger to stop 'stolen' car as four inside flee

READ MORE:Pub relaunches with giant beer garden, new brunch menu and swanky interior

READ: 111 objections as North Staffordshire landscape set to change for decades Staffordshire Moorlands District Council is set to make a decision on the plans this week

READ: 'We're not NIMBYs!' - Neighbours fight solar farm as big as 140 football pitches Staffordshire Moorlands District Council is set to rule on the Wetley Rocks plan

“Just how many of these applications do the council intend to accept and how many can Rownall and Bagnall accept. So many of the battery storage applications are being received simply because it appears an unmissable opportunity to make money without risk beyond the applicants wildest dreams.”

Earlier this year councillors spoke out about the number of solar farm applications coming forward for land in the Staffordshire Moorlands. They raised concerns about the loss of farmland for food production and the cumulative impact of the developments.

Milly Bowen, planning manager for REPD said: “The proposed battery energy storage system at Newfields farm is located along the Cellarhead substations connecting it to the grid would not involve any significant disruption, it is an optimum location. We have an agreement with National Grid electricity distribution to connect to Cellarhead substation and the relevant capacity has been secured on the National Grid.

“The proposed development is temporary and reversible after decommissioning all equipment will be removed with the benefit of the landscaping scheme prevailing.”

Both Cheddleton Parish Council and Bagnall Parish Council submitted objections to the development. An update response from Staffordshire Fire and Rescue showed no outstanding issues of concern.

Members of the planning committee at Staffordshire Moorlands District Council were split in their thinking. Councillor Mark Johnson told fellow councillors that this was the best possible location and he would have to support the application.

He said: “I find this is not an optimum location, there is no optimum location but it is a good a location as it is possible to get given it is in the greenbelt. It’s as close as it’s possible to get to the substation, so I find that very powerful indeed.”

He was supported by Councillor Keith Hoptroff who added: “After looking round the site this morning it has convinced me that it’s an ideal place to install a BESS, as it’s close to the grid, good landscaping will be retained, with extra measures put in place to minimise the impact on the area.”

However, Councillor Paul Roberts told councillors: “I’m just a bit uncomfortable at the moment. Just looking at the area surrounding the substation, we’ve got 23 hectares covered by 820 batteries and 248 transformers and inverters. I just think it’s too much in one area.”

Planning committee chairman, Peter Wilkinson told the committee he had concerns over access to the site in case of a fire. He added: “I’ve got concerns, not just the cumulative impact but also the safety of the site.

“I did look at the response from Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service, as far as I’m concerned it doesn’t meet safety requirements. That is the main issue, safety and the more sites we have like this in place, it’s going to be industrialised, the whole area. It’s going to be an industrial wasteland.

“The more sites we approve, we approved two but if we carry on approving, approving there is more likelihood that an incident will happen.”

The planning committee rejected the recommendation to approve by planning officers and voted to reject the application.

Sign up to our main daily newsletter here and get all the latest news straight to your inbox for FREE