Council rejects battery site amid safety fears
BBCResidents living near a proposed battery energy storage system (BESS) say they are "elated" after plans were rejected by councillors.
BESSs are being built across the UK to store renewable energy and improve the country's energy security.
Durham County Council's planning committee had recommended a site near South Hetton, County Durham, be approved because of the wider benefits of renewable energy.
But after almost 700 objections, councillors voted to reject the application on the grounds of harm to the landscape.
BESSs consist of metal containers storing huge numbers of lithium-ion batteries.
When there is excess renewable energy in the grid, the batteries charge up and store the energy.
When demand is high, the batteries can then release the energy back into the national grid.
There are no laws that specifically govern the safety of BESSs and South Hetton residents have spent the past year voicing concerns.
Lisa Miller, who lives 300m (965ft) away from the rejected West Lane BESS site, previously told the BBC her biggest fear was public safety and the risk of fires.
Speaking after the plans were rejected, she said: "I'm elated.
"This is the first hurdle to overcome, but it's a win today - and a decisive win."
Some experts are calling for a pause in the deployment of BESS sites until Health and Safety regulations are established.
Retired Oxford University engineering science professor Peter Dobson has warned BESSs pose a major risk to the public and said "the energy stored in one container is the equivalent of three tonnes of TNT".
He said it would be "like putting a chemical refinery right next door to somebody's house".
The government maintains battery storage fires are rare in the UK.
A representative from the company planning the West Lane BESS site, Rewe 8 Ltd, told the planning meeting BESSs played a crucial role in decarbonising the national grid.
The company added the local fire and rescue service had raised no objections, and emergency water tanks had been planned for the site in case of fires.
Planning officers at Durham County Council had recommended the site be approved because the renewable energy benefits outweighed the identified harms.
However, having heard objections from residents and parish councillors, a panel of county councillors voted to reject the plans in terms of harm to the landscape.
The government maintains BESSs are critical national infrastructure.
A Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spokesperson said: "Every battery storage facility we construct and every solar panel we install helps protect families from future energy shocks.
"We already have high safety standards in place that require manufacturers and industry to ensure batteries are safe throughout their lifespan."
