Plans to site battery box on land set aside for nature at solar farm at Sutton Bridge
The organisation behind a solar farm project wants to site a battery box on an area that has been set aside for improving nature.
South Holland District Council gave planning permission for EDF Renewables to transform 118 hectares of arable farmland south of Centenary Way at Sutton Bridge Power Station back in March 2021.
Among the stipulations was that land would be set aside to deliver a biodiversity net gain.
However, a new application submitted by EDF is requesting that 2.94 hectares of land be used to house a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS).
Battery boxes store energy when demand is low or production high and release it when demand is high or supply low.
“The application seeks to remove a minor parcel of land from an area that were previously identified to deliver biodiversity net gain as part of the approved Sutton Bridge Solar Farm,” information provided by agent IC Planning said.
“The area that is to be removed will then be used as part of a new Battery Energy Storage System planning application.”
The application states EDF have engaged with the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust (LWT) regarding the request.
“It is understood that South Holland Council at the time of the pre-application submission did not have a dedicated ecology officer, therefore relied upon the input from the LWT on relevant matters,” it added.
“The feedback from the LWT was that the principle of the approach of transferring some of the BNG (biodiversity net gain) to the BESS project was reasonable approach.
“Whilst the principle of this approach has been agreed, the planning ‘mechanics’ of securing this were subject to further dialogue between the council and ourselves.”
An ecology report accompanying the application states that the area in question relates to the equivalent of 23.53 habitat units and that, after changes, the biodiversity net gain for the solar development would be 538.48 habitat units - which would exceed the planned 10% gain.
“By providing additional enhancements the BESS will deliver 23.53 habitat units/2.9411 ha and achieve a 12.33% biodiversity gain by establishing other neutral grassland in good condition,” it added.