FIREFIGHTERS should be consulted more over new battery energy sites, the Staffordshire Commissioner has said.
Ben Adams admitted he was “concerned” that some developers are not engaging with Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service while planning new facilities in the county.
Planning applications for battery energy storage (BES) sites have become increasingly common across Staffordshire in recent years due to the national drive towards net zero carbon emissions.
According to Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Services’ new community risk management plan, BES systems present “significant risks” due to their potential for fire and explosion, as well as the presence of “complex electrical hazards”.
The commissioner was quizzed about the issue by members of the Police, Fire and Rescue Panel. He said that while the risks posed were not as great as some residents feared, he acknowledged that it was a growing concern for the public due to the sheer number of applications.
And he suggested that greater engagement with Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service during the planning process would help address these concerns:
“This is probably one of the biggest issues for local people at the moment. There are a tremendous amount of planning applications going in for battery storage and photovoltaic energy generation. It does raise concerns.
“At the moment it is with the planning authorities to consider all the building controls. Fire and rescue’s primary concerns are that they can get to the site, that they can move around when they do and that it is correctly distanced from other things. That’s no different to any other type of development.
“National fire chiefs have established protocols whereby fire and rescue are available to developers during the planning stage. Most do have that conversation, but not all of them do and not all planning authorities are making sure that happens, which concerns me. I’ve been in conversation with a number of councils about this.
“However, the risks are not as significant as some might feel. But the national push towards net zero is going to mean more and more of these applications coming forward.”
The commissioner said it would be up to the Government to decide whether fire and rescue services should be statutory consultees for all BES planning applications.
But he added that this would have to come with additional funding due to the extra work it would entail.