Energy firm's battery storage site plans approved

The site will house a battery storage system

Plans for a 20 megawatt battery storage facility in the countryside next to the A417 and close to junction 11a of the M5 in Brockworth, have been approved.

Exagen has been granted permission this week to go ahead with their plans for 16 lithium-ion battery units on more than five acres (20,234sq m) of land north of Brockworth Road.

Tewkesbury Borough Council's planning committee considered the scheme on 23 April, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

It included an underground cable, which would connect to the existing overhead 33 kilovolt electricity distribution line which crossed the western end of the site.

'Sustainable development'

Helen Hewitt, senior development planner at Exagen, said there was clear national and local recognition of the urgency to tackle carbon emissions, adding battery storage was deemed as renewable energy infrastructure.

“Battery storage is critical to national infrastructure,” she said.

“There can be no doubt this application delivers on the principle of sustainable development.”

She said decentralised energy storage is essential to meeting targets to reduce carbon emissions.

The batteries will be housed in containers which are 8.2ft (2.5m) wide by 20ft (6m) long and 10ft (3m) high.

'Best of the worst'

Council officers recommended approving the scheme. Their report to the committee said the development was not directly associated with the production of renewable energy.

Conservative councillor Mel Gore said she would be happy to support the proposals should a condition be included to ensure there was no lighting at the site to safeguard the dark skies.

Liberal Democrat councillor Mary Jordan said it was the "best of the worst" options.