Wealden Councillors Approve Green Energy Infrastructure Schemes

Wealden councillors have approved plans for ‘decarbonising’ energy infrastructure on two sites within the district.

On Thursday (June 19), Wealden District Council’s newly-formed Majors Planning Committee approved proposals to erect a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) facility on a 24-hectare parcel of agricultural land to the northwest of Sand Hill Lane, near Palehouse Common.

During the same meeting, the committee also approved a separate application to erect a large-scale solar power facility at the Colbran Farm Estate near Laughton.

While separate proposals from separate applicants, the schemes generated similar comments and concerns from objectors.

The facility in Sand Hill Lane had been proposed by Light Rock Power Limited, a Kent-based company which brands itself as a “wildlife-friendly” business.

Its facility would comprise 480 battery storage cabinets and associated infrastructure with a collective output capacity of 600 megawatts (MW). These batteries would take electricity from the national grid at times of excess power generation, store it, then export it back at times of need, the committee heard.

Light Rock Power says the facility and others like it are a necessary component in efforts to decarbonise the UK’s power infrastructure, as it would offset the “intermittent” generation offered by solar and wind.

While recommended for approval, the scheme saw objections from a number of local residents, who had a range of concerns about the impact of the development.

Some of these concerns were highlighted by ward councillors Ann Newton (Con) and Geoffrey Draper (Con).

In a statement read on her behalf, Cllr Newton said:

“In a nutshell, the total harm arising from the scheme, including breaches of policy … are not outweighed by the benefits.

“I fundamentally object to the destruction of this large piece of agricultural land, which does result in harm to the Low Weald and has impact on those important listed buildings to north the site.”

She added:

“This is an industrial development in open countryside.

"Within the report are drawings of the batteries themselves, the buildings associated with them, the fencing, gates, CCTV poles.

"They all contribute to make this a totally unacceptable use of the land, damaging the landscape in the most outrageous manner.”

Cllr Newton also raised doubts about the “temporary” nature of the development, saying she considered it unlikely that the site would ever return to its current condition.

According to the officers report, the facility is set to have an operational period of 40 years, whereupon it is set to be decommissioned and the site restored to its current state.

Cllr Draper, meanwhile, highlighted residents’ concerns around fire safety.

In response to this, officers noted how conditions required a safety management plan to be signed off by East Sussex Fire and Rescue prior to the commencement of development.

Despite some concerns about its landscape impact, the committee as a whole felt the development was acceptable.

Proposing approval, Martyn Everitt (Green) said:

“This is a difficult one, because this obviously does have environmental impacts and a consequence for the Low Weald.

"We have to balance that against the benefit for the country, in a sense, for biodiversity net gain [and] the impact for carbon zero.”

For further information on the proposals see application reference WD/2024/2919/MAJ on the Wealden District Council website.