Battery storage plans for green belt land refused

Plans to build a battery storage facility on farmland in York have been refused over fire safety concerns.

Net Zero Fourteen Ltd had submitted plans for the Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) to be built off Murton Way, east of Osbaldwick.

The company said the facility would help provide energy storage that was critical to meeting climate goals and national priorities.

York Council's Planning Committee voted to refuse the application partly because of fire safety concerns related to the site's layout and access being from a single narrow track from Outgang Lane.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), the plans would have seen 104 battery storage units arranged in rows within the 3.4 hectare site.

Excess energy from the power grid would have been stored there and then released back into the network when demand increased.

It would also have included 14 transformers and a 240,000 litre water storage tank.

It would have been surrounded by a fence and fitted with CCTV, and linked to the existing substation at Osbaldwick.

Thirteen letters of support were lodged and local resident and environmentalist John Cossham called on councillors to approve it on climate grounds at Thursday's meeting.

Speaking for Net Zero Fourteen Ltd, Steven Gough said the facility would help to meet ambitious local and national climate goals.

He said fire risks had been independently assessed and there was no expert opinion that could back up the concerns raised.

Seven objections were lodged against the plans including from Osbaldwick and Derwent's independent councillor Mark Warters.

Objectors raised concerns about traffic, harm to the greenbelt, water contamination and the noise of the batteries, along with fire safety issues.

Labour Committee Chair Councillor Jonny Crawshaw said it was hard to overlook the concerns raised about fire safety.

The chair said: "To do anything other than go against officers' recommendations to refuse this would be difficult."

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