A proposed battery energy storage system in Lambley has been given the go ahead by Gedling Borough Council — despite objections from 201 nearby households.
A proposed battery energy storage system in Lambley has been given the go-ahead by a council — despite objections from 201 nearby households on flooding, noise levels and other concerns.
Gedling Borough Council’s planning committee met on March 26 to discuss — and subsequently approve — plans for a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) submitted by Grenergy Renewables UK Ltd.
The system is to be built on a four-hectare patch of land at Burton Wood Farm, accessed by a farm track off Spring Lane, near Lambley.
The site is within the Nottingham and Derby Green Belt and close to ancient woodland.
The system, with a lifetime of 40 years, will provide energy services to the national grid, taking excess power in periods of low demand, storing it and then releasing it back when demand is high.
The BESS will include three tanks of battery units, totalling 192 batteries, along with other energy infrastructure including a rainwater pond to prevent flooding.
The plans received 201 objections from nearby households, and objections from local parish councils and Gedling Labour MP Michael Payne — raising concerns for wildlife, noise levels, flooding in Lambley and in Burton Joyce.
Plans received one point of local support, in that it is in line with the Labour Government’s “net zero” aim.
Speaking at the meeting on behalf of concerned residents, Ian Taylor said: “Houses in Main Street and Lambley will be flooded more rapidly and severely during extreme rainfall as a result of water pouring off the site- if it was your house that was being threatened, you would not vote for this application.”
This was echoed by Sam Smith, who said: “[It says] the attenuation pond would release 6.3 litres a second into the Crock Dumble [watercourse], at a normal rate… it’s not [permeable], because there will be sheets underneath the pebbles to prevent any chemicals getting into the water course, making it a non-permeable site.
“Meaning all the water could run off this site into the pond. If it does, during heavy rainfall, with the storms we’ve seen, it could release 378 litres a minute into the Crock Dumble… which would absolutely wipe out Burton Joyce and potentially Lambley.”
Claire Turton, planning officer at the council, said: “The vast majority of the site would be set on semi-permeable gravel, not hardstanding, so water would go through that, pipes underneath would catch water to go to attenuation pond.”
Noise levels were a point of worry for residents and councillors, with battery inverters expected to reach 88 decibels during the day and 78 decibels during the night.
Helen Greensmith said: “Eighty eight decibels sounds horrendously high to me, it will carry in a quiet area, this is at the top of a hill, it will go down the valleys, and it’s going to hit all the residents.”
Ms Turton said earlier in the meeting: “By the time noise hits those neighbouring properties, it would be less than 30 decibels, so it would be less than the acceptable level within a bedroom.”
Mr Smith questioned the potential contradiction of the aim for net zero — saying BESS schemes may need imported materials, in turn using CO2 through transport.
He said: “We’re building something to help mitigate climate change that isn’t net zero- how has that decision been founded?”
A response from Grenergy, regarding the importation of materials from overseas said: “In terms of procurement of BESS, because of the complexity of the technology, a global supply chain is necessary to resource and manufacturer the equipment, no different than a modern car, cellphone or television.
“The exact supplier of the BESS units has not been confirmed at this stage of the project. Regardless Grenergy are committed to sustainability and have an ethos to environmental, social and governance as you can find on our website.”
The plans were approved with nine votes for and seven against.
