Battery farm plan recommended for approval

Plans to build a battery energy storage system (BESS) close to a West Yorkshire village have been recommended for approval by council planning officers.

A report said the scheme for land near Heath in Wakefield was acceptable despite more than 1,200 objections and criticism from councillors and MPs.

Opponents said the development, which would see 72 containers storing lithium ion batteries installed on farmland, could pose a fire risk to residents and harm the local conservation area.

However, applicant Harmony Energy said the project would contribute to net zero targets and that there were at least 130 similar sites operating safely in the UK.

A spokesperson for the company said no properties within the village of Heath would be able to see the seven-hectare site and that its cultural heritage assessment had been "robust".

BESS facilities take in power from renewable energy sources and then release it back to the National Grid when demand is high.

The planning application for the site was submitted in 2022 and a council report outlines reasons for the three-year delay in a decision on the scheme, which include changes to national planning policy and the area's Local Plan.

Planning officers said the site was previously designated green belt but had been reclassified as grey belt.

They said there was "considered to be no technical reasons to withhold planning permission" and have recommended the scheme be approved at a meeting on 17 July, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

A total of 130 comments in support of the proposal have been received by Wakefield Council.

But a spokesperson for the I Love Heath Common campaign group previously said: "Harmony Energy is showing a blatant disregard for local feeling.

"There is nothing renewable about a battery storage facility. It is a standalone industrial development."

They added: "Its sole purpose is as a business opportunity, and it is certainly not a source of renewable energy."

Campaigners said two historical buildings – the Grade II-listed Dame Mary Bolles Water Tower and the Whittling Well – are situated less than 100m from the proposed BESS site.

West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority (WYFRA) also previously said the risks were "very real and are becoming more common".

But Harmony Energy argued: "Schemes would not be financeable or insurable if they were deemed to be a significant risk."

The company lodged an appeal with the Planning Inspectorate following the three-year delay in determining the application.

A four-day public inquiry is expected to be held over the matter at a date yet to be confirmed.

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