Leeds City Council leader criticises battery storage plans

One of the proposed sites would be located off Barnsdale Road, near Allerton Bywater

The leader of Leeds City Council has criticised plans to build two separate battery storage sites in the south-east of the city.

Councillor James Lewis has joined around 800 residents in objecting to the proposed schemes on greenbelt land near Allerton Bywater.

Concerns around the risk of fire linked to such sites have fuelled widespread opposition to proposals.

Developers behind the plans said the technology used was "extremely safe".

Battery energy storage systems (BESS) take in power from renewable energy sources and then pump it back out to the grid during times of high demand, making them appealing from an environmental perspective.

But concerns around fire safety stem from the lithium within the batteries, which can cause an explosion when it overheats.

'Risk of destruction'

Addressing a public meeting in Allerton Bywater on Tuesday, Mr Lewis said he had asked the fire service to assess each site individually and for the developers to provide more information about the technology and fire mitigation.

Mr Lewis, who is objecting to the schemes in his capacity as a ward councillor, said: "The greenbelt we have round here is hard fought for and it's something we want to protect.

"The fire service haven't minced their words in terms of expressing their concerns about battery energy storage systems.

"In the worst-case scenario, we could end up with firefighters standing on the site fighting fires for days. That's not something any of us want to see."

• The charged debate over battery energy storage systems

Campaigner Alison Davies told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "There are two main concerns, both equally as important. There's the fire hazard and then there's the environmental impact as well.

"The fire risk has been well publicised, but in this particular location there's the risk of destruction of the greenbelt and the industrialisation of this area as well."

The two proposed sites - less than a mile apart - were put forward in separate planning applications by Harmony Energy and Banks Renewables.

Harmony Energy launched a battery energy storage system in Cottingham, East Yorkshire, in 2022

Harmony Energy said its systems were "extremely safe" and had been "rigorously fire tested using international safety standards".

"Schemes would not be financeable or insurable if they were deemed to be a significant risk," a spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, Banks Renewables said the benefits were "proven and accepted", and its scheme had a "great deal of local support".

Government data also shows there are dozens of battery energy storage systems sites already operational in the UK.