Plans for a battery energy storage system (BESS) in Yorkshire have been thwarted amid major concerns from the council.
At a council meeting on December 5, Murton Parish Council refused planning permission for the 100MW Murton Way BESS, proposed by Net Zero Fourteen Limited. Council members cited several reasons for denying the project.
The development would consist of 104 battery units spread across the 3.4 hectare site and 14 transformers connected to the nearby Osbaldwick substation.
One of the reasons for refusing planning permission for the project is concerns over fire safety, as the site could have only one narrow entrance and exit, which could easily become blocked in the event of fire. As such, Murton Parish Council called the proposed Fire Strategy Plan “inadequate”.
Also mentioned in Murton Parish Council’s list of objections to the project is the project’s location in Yorkshire’s Green Belt, on what the council believes is productive agricultural land. The council also expressed concern that the land could not be returned to its original state beyond its proposed 40-year lifespan due to the prohibitive cost of such rehabilitation. Osbaldwick Parish Council also strongly objected to the proposed BESS and expressed support for Murton Parish Council.
One of the other objectors is York Traveller’s Trust, which represents the local community of travelers in the area. The York Traveller’s Trust notes that the noise assessment for the proposed development suggests that noise from the BESS could have an adverse effect on the welfare of the nearby Traveler Site, while also raising concerns about groundwater contamination.
However, not everyone in the area was against the development. The council has received around 56 letters of support, compared to just seven public objections, with supporters arguing that the environmental risks of the climate crisis far outweigh the risks to the local environment from the BESS development.
The application was rejected despite the developers noting that the project had received a viable offer for grid connection, which the rejection letter states “may lend some weight” in favor of the development. However, the council ultimately concluded that the proposed BESS would constitute “inappropriate development” in the Green Belt and therefore refused permission.
Net Zero Fourteen could not be reached for comment at this time.
