Plans for battery storage site in Wineham approved

The land off Wineham Lane is currently used for "occasional grazing"

Plans for a battery energy storage site have been approved by a Sussex council.

Mid Sussex District Council (MSDC) gave the go-ahead for proposals from Bolney Green Energy Hub Limited on Thursday, despite receiving 280 letters objecting to the plans.

The 7.2 hectare (17.7 acres) site east of Wineham is currently used for "occasional grazing", council papers say.

In approving the plans, a council planning officer said the "provision of battery energy storage was a critical national priority".

The site will now house 184 lithium ferrous phosphate batteries, with a capacity of 200MW and 46 battery inverters.

An office and substation monitored by CCTV and security fencing will also be on the site.

A report to the MSDC's planning committee heard that the facility would be removed after 30 years to ensure "no irreversible impact on the landscape".

"Lack of consideration"

Twineham Parish Council had raised concerns about the development, on fire safety grounds, the Local Democracy Reporting Service(LDRS) said.

A parish spokesperson said: "There seems to be a complete lack of consideration for local residents, particularly those living immediately opposite in the timber-built Country Park."

MSDC's planning officer told a council meeting that West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service (WSFRS) had "given input to the application".

They felt that Bolney Green Energy Limited had "done all they have been asked to do from an operational perspective", the officer said.

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