Wealden councillors approve green energy infrastructure scheme

On Thursday June 19, Wealden District Council’s newly-formed Majors Planning Committee approved proposals to erect a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) facility on a 24-hectare parcel of agricultural land to the northwest of Sand Hill Lane, near Palehouse Common.

During the same meeting, the committee also approved a separate application to erect a large-scale solar power facility at the Colbran Farm Estate near Laughton.

The facility in Sand Hill Lane had been proposed by Light Rock Power Limited.

It would comprise 480 battery storage cabinets and associated infrastructure with a collective output capacity of 600 megawatts (MW). These batteries would take electricity from the national grid at times of excess power generation, store it, then export it back at times of need, the committee heard.

Light Rock Power says it would offset the “intermittent” generation offered by solar and wind.

While recommended for approval, the scheme saw objections from some local residents.

Some of these concerns were highlighted by ward councillors Ann Newton (Con) and Geoffrey Draper (Con).

In a statement read on her behalf, Cllr Newton said: “I fundamentally object to the destruction of this large piece of agricultural land, which does result in harm to the Low Weald and has impact on those important listed buildings to north the site.”

She added: “This is an industrial development in open countryside. Within the report are drawings of the batteries themselves, the buildings associated with them, the fencing, gates, CCTV poles. They all contribute to make this a totally unacceptable use of the land, damaging the landscape in the most outrageous manner.”

Cllr Newton also raised doubts about the “temporary” nature of the development, saying she considered it unlikely that the site would ever return to its current condition. According to the officers report, the facility is set to have an operational period of 40 years, when it would be decommissioned and the site restored to its current state.

The committee as a whole felt the development was acceptable.

The Laughton facility, from green-energy developer Innova, will include solar panel arrays, which means it will generate rather than just store electricity, on a site of around 102 hectares.

The full facility will be formed of solar panel arrays, capable of collectively producing 40MW of energy. Submissions with the application state the power generated would be enough to power approximately 11,699 homes and would result in an approximate saving of 9,755 tonnes of carbon dioxide per annum.

It would also contain six energy storage units, capable of storing 30MW of power. The development would include other infrastructure elements, including: access tracks; substations; power conversion units; storage containers; water storage; fencing; and CCTV cameras.

These features would also be time-limited for a period of 40 years.

Concerns were raised by ward councillor Alison Wilson (Green), who argued the scheme needed stronger conditions before it would be acceptable. She said: “This is a very large and complex development, which will have a major impact on the local landscape for the next 40 years.

The committee felt the scheme was acceptable and granted planning permission in line with the officers’ recommendation.