Explosion fears over Inkberrow battery storage site plans

The plans have been put forward for land near Inkberrow in Worcestershire

Residents near a planned solar farm have called for tighter safety measures over fears a battery storage facility could explode.

A 279-acre Roundhill Solar Farm could be built off Earls Common Road, near Inkberrow, under plans by JBM Solar.

In a submission to planners, Hereford Fire and Rescue Service said the explosion risk in storage facilities was "unfortunately very real".

JBM Solar said it would be fitted with safety measures to prevent fires.

Residents had previously submitted a 95-page formal objection to the plans in which they said it would impact on wildlife habitats and lead to the destruction of woodlands.

Assistant Chief Fire Officer Adrian Elliott said the risk of explosion was "very real" and "becoming more common" as more battery storage facilities were built across the country, the Local Democracy Reporting service said.

JBM Solar said the batteries it intended to use would have built-in automatic fire suppression and would be monitored individually 24/7 so any faults could be isolated and batteries could be shut off before any potential fire could occur.

The solar panel company said the batteries would also be spread out and not concentrated in one location - which would reduce the risk of a fire spreading.

The plans have attracted hundreds of objections from residents calling for the land - which they claim inspired the Shire in JRR Tolkien's Lord of the Rings - to be protected.

JRR Tolkien grew up in Sarehole in the 1890s which was then part of Worcestershire but is now in Birmingham and, while he would have been familiar with the area, there is no specific link to the land in question.

JBM said the site was temporary with panels to be removed after 40 years.