Electricity storage facility plan for rural land near Chesterfield
An energy company is seeking permission to site a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) in a rural location in north Derbyshire.
The electricity storage facility proposed for Lodge Farm, Top Road, Calow would be in place for 40 years and then the land would revert to its original use. There is a public footpath running through the site which is 100m from the hamlet of Bolehill.
An application to construct, operate and decommission the 25mw BESS has been submitted by Enray Power Ltd to North East Derbyshire District Council.
Sixteen battery units are included in the proposed facility which would have a maximum height of three metres. Access to the site would be from Calow Lane.
A statement of community involvement, prepared by Energyline Ltd on behalf of the applicant, said that the proposal was relatively modest in scale with minor environmental effects being anticipated. Letters had been posted to 31 residential properties and to Calow Parish Council, offering an opportunity to consider the development proposal and provide any comments or queries.
According to the report, two responses were received in the public consultation exercise to which the parish council did not respond.
Residents’ comments included the need for the proposal at this location, vibration and noise impacting amenity, visual impact from nearby properties and public rights of way and fire safety.
Addressing these points, the report said that the site at Lodge Farm was the most suitable site based on a number of factors including the availability of a viable grid connection, the identification of a willing landowner and the desire to avoid physical and policy constraints.
Noise emissions would be limited to a level agreed by the council’s environmental officer. The facility would include an acoustic barrier and noise attenuation kits.
Landscaping would mitigate the visual effects of the receptors. Users of the public rights of way which cross both the site and an adjacent field would experience changes in views as a result of the proposal but both of these paths are short in length and take in the wider view of existing pylons and overhead wires.
Regarding fire risk, the report stated that the applicant’s battery containers include a sophisticated Battery Management System designed to monitor the cells 24/7 and ensure they are kept within safe operational limits. If there was any fault detected, the battery would immediately shut down. Further to this, Enray Power would produce a Risk Management Plan and Emergency Response Plan available to the Fire & Rescue Service.