Battery storage scheme set for approval

Plans to transform five hectares of South Staffordshire agricultural land into a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) have been recommended for approval.

The facility would have a lifespan of 50 years and store 100 megawatts of electricity, said those behind the project.

Companies Elgin Energy Limited and Renewable Power Capital want to site the plants at The Roughs in Dimmingsdale and at the junction of Market Lane and Langley Road.

The plans received 50 objections from local residents, with many stating that the development was inappropriate for the green belt.

Lower Penn Parish Council called for the planning committee to turn down the application.

Local MP Mike Wood also objected to the plans following a public meeting with residents to discuss the issue.

The Kingswinford and South Staffordshire MP said: "Residents are rightly concerned about the impact this site would have on the local green belt and character of the area.

"[While] I appreciate the need for such sites, I do not believe that our precious green belt land should be sacrificed for battery storage systems."

A South Staffordshire Council planning committee is set to meet on Tuesday 17 June to rule on the application recommended for approval by officers.

A report to committee said the development would make a "significant contribution to energy security, by allowing surplus electricity from the grid to be stored and used when it is most needed".

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

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