Rejected plans for battery farm overturned

The battery farm will be based on land off Marton Lane, Willingham by Stow, near Gainsborough

Rejected plans for a battery farm near Gainsborough have now been overturned on appeal.

West Lindsey District Council had turned down FRV Powertek's battery farm plans on land off Marton Lane, Willingham by Stow, in February.

The scheme, involving 160 battery containers, was refused on the grounds it was not an appropriate location, despite advice from officers to approve it.

However, the Planning Inspectorate overturned the decision and said it did not contradict the development plan for the area.

Speaking during the planning meeting that saw the plans rejected, councillor Ian Fleetwood said: "If this was any other type of industrial site in the open countryside, we would say 'no no no'."

Councillor Lynda Mullally, who represents the area, agreed, and called the battery farm a "poorly researched project".

She also said it "potentially focused more on profit than progress, which could open the floodgates for other projects".

According to the developer, the battery farm will have a "small to negligible" visual impact

At the time, representatives for FRV Powertek claimed the battery farm would have a "small to negligible" visual impact and there were no fire safety concerns.

With the plans overturned, West Lindsey District Council will now be told to pay the costs of the appeal to the developer.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the exact amount is being discussed between the two parties and will be published once agreed.

Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.

Download the BBC News app from the App Store for iPhone and iPad or Google Play for Android devices