MP calls for commitment to green belt amid Black Country battery facility plans
An MP has called on the Government to show its commitment to protecting green belt land amid concerns over a proposed battery facility in the Black Country.
Anesco Ltd has submitted proposals for a battery energy storage system (BESS) over two hectares of land on Chapel Lane, next to The Duckery, in Great Barr.
The move would see 28 battery units, a substation, transformers and feeder pillars and other related infrastructure installed on the site which is in the green belt.
The facility, however, is expected to have a lifespan of 40 years and will be removed afterwards with the field being returned to its "previous condition" there.
But concerns have been raised by Valerie Vaz, MP for Walsall South, over why the site was chosen and why green belt land is being swallowed up to build it.
Speaking in a debate in Parliament, she said: "My constituents are adamant that the green belt land must be preserved and protection of the green belt is set out in the National Planning Policy Framework, the Black Country Plan and the Walsall Site Allocation Document and the notes to the Levelling Up Bill state the Government wants to 'make the green belt greener'.
"Renewable and sustainable solutions are vital, but building on green belt land is not a green solution. There is a viable alternative site at Oldbury National Grid Substation a location suggested by neighbouring Sandwell Council next to the M5 which is more suitable as it is away from homes, as the site would include 28 battery units 2.3m high."
The MP also asked Government chiefs whether any assessment has been done on the safety of BESS sites after fires in Australia and California – as she asked the Government to reaffirm its approach to protecting green belt land.
"The bottom line is that my constituents do not want green-belt land to be built on. They want it preserved. The pandemic has shown, like never before, how they need green-belt land and that such areas need to be protected," she added.
Plans submitted to Walsall Council said one of the mainreasons the site had been chosen was its proximity and the proposed development would be temporary. A 2.4 metre high security fence to restrict unauthorised access is also proposed for the site.
Planners argued it would have a “relatively low impact” and construction of the site would be completed in six or seven months, depending on the weather, with the battery containers and other components delivered to the site throughout construction – and there will be no onsite office or permanent staff on site.
The BESS will capable of importing and exporting approximately 49.35 Megawatts (MW) of electricity to and from the National Grid, under the plans which are awaiting a decision from council chiefs.
