One of the objectors to plans for a large battery storage facility at Chickerell says he is appalled at Dorset Council officers suggesting approval.

John Paton says that there has been no assessment of ‘worst case scenario’ should the storage site catch on fire.

“There have been very many objections and nearly all have raised safety as their main concern,” said Mr Paton in an email which has been sent this week to all Dorset councillors.

“Dorset Council should require the application to be ‘called in’ if it feels it does not have the competence to consider the issues or else the application should be withdrawn from the agenda and deferred until such times that these matters have been fully and competently covered. That consideration must include appropriate advice from the new Government as regards the scope and powers of Regulations in respect of such large battery storage (BESS) facilities in close proximity to urban areas.”

Despite the claims from Mr Paton and other objectors, the company behind the proposals says the risks of fire are minimal and, overall, the site will provide a benefit to the country.

(Image: Statera/Dorset Council) The battery site will store energy at times of low demand and feed it back into the National Grid in times of higher demand using the local sub-station.

On health and safety, Dorset Council’s summary says “[it] has been rigorously assessed via an independent peer review process and would be appropriately managed and secured via planning conditions.”

The council says despite the loss of agricultural land the overall benefits of the proposal outweigh any ‘harms’.

If approved the development could become one of the biggest of its type in Europe.

The site, at East Chickerell Court Farm. stretches from Coldharbour to the golf driving range next to the Weymouth FC ground, has been put forward for up to 600 containers housing battery cells.

Many objectors say the containers are unsightly and would effectively block a local “wildlife corridor.”

The Dorset group of the Campaign to Protect Rural England, Weymouth Civic Society and Chickerell Parish Council are among those who have lodged formal objections.

CPRE claim the site would be “a clear danger to the local population.”

Developer Statera Energy claim the development will provide what it describes as ‘essential renewable energy infrastructure’ of 400MW and offer local people more than 16 hectares of parkland and new footpaths on previously inaccessible land.

“The electricity grid is evolving to meet the challenge of climate change and that means a substantial expansion of grid infrastructure around the main substations.

“There is no question that these developments are in the national – and global – interest,” said a Statera spokesman.

(Image: Statera/Dorset Council)

The company says the site has been chosen because it is adjacent to an electric sub-station allowing direct access to the National Grid, with an agreement in place to connect up in 2027.

It acknowledges the objectors but says there have also been those who support the application.

The Chickerell Action Group (CAG) which was formed to oppose the scheme say they understand the need for battery storage, but claim it should not be close to where 53,000 people live and work.

Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue service, although not objecting, say in its submission that to deal with any fire on the site would involve massive quantities of water, which others point out could then result in pollution to any nearby watercourses and potentially, the sea.

Said DWFRS: “It is recognised that these installations pose some specific hazards in the event of fire. Any fire involving grid scale Li-ion battery storage would be treated as a hazardous materials incident in order that specialist technical advice can be obtained at the earliest opportunity… Our response crews have been provided with additional training and awareness in the hazards and risk management of BESS installations and as such the risk to them is considered to be controlled.”

The application will be considered at Dorset Council’s strategic planning committee on Monday, July 29 along with an application for a smaller battery storage facility, of 47.5MW, at Holt Road, Three Legged Cross, adjacent to a site which already has consent for a battery storage facility of a similar size.