Essex Green Belt Site a “Reactive Power Priority Area” Planning Inspector Argues, as Planning Decision Overturned Development of a BESS has been approved following an appeal, despite fierce opposition from Chelmsford City Council, due to the site’s green belt status. Pelagic Energy appealed against the council’s decision to refuse development on the land west of Battlebridge, undertaking a sequential assessment to demonstrate that there were no available or suitable alternative sites (either on the brownfield register or beyond the Green Belt). The storage facility will accommodate 78 battery containers and transformers and will store both renewable and non-renewable energy. The stored energy will be drawn upon at times of high demand from the National Grid. Inspector G Sylvester ruled against the Council’s decision. Whilst acknowledging that the scheme’s industrial appearance would detract from the character of the surrounding area and reduce the openness of the green belt, she concluded that there was an “urgent need for ‘reactive power’” in the south of England and that the appeal site was in a “reactive power priority area”. #BESS #batteryenergystorage #renewableenergy A copy of the appeal decision is set out below:

Posted by milliecoleman at 2024-09-06 10:00:08 UTC