A REPORT has recommended an energy facility in Hammerwich is given the go-ahead.
The battery energy storage site has been earmarked for land to the west of Lions Den.
The proposals have been called in for a decision by Lichfield District Council’s planning committee by Cllr Leona Leung over concerns about the impact on the green belt.
But a planning officer’s report to a meeting next week says the scheme should be approved. It said:
“The proposal would make a direct contribution to the national push towards clean energy and net zero, providing energy storage to enable better flexibility and efficiency of the existing National Grid assets, including renewable energy generation.
“This is the key benefit of the proposal and officers have attributed great weight to this within the planning balance.
“The development is within the Green Belt. Officers have undertaken a review of the site and concluded that it would constitute grey belt land. Officers have also undertaken an assessment of the proposal if it were not to be considered grey belt land, for completeness, concluding that material considerations indicate that Very Special Circumstances exist and the proposal should be supported.”
Concerns have also been raised about the suitability of narrow roads in the area during the construction of the battery energy storage site.
But the report said mitigations had been proposed:
“During the construction phase, which would last up to nine months, there would be a projected average of one heavy goods vehicle trip per day, with a maximum of six. The initial three month period would result in more HGV trips, at an average of five trips per day.
“The applicant proposes a set of mitigation measures including improving visibility splays and scheduling trips outside of peak hours. Officers are satisfied that the proposal would not result in an unacceptable impact on the highway network. Staffordshire County Council’s highways department have not objected to the proposal.”
The report will be debated by the planning committee on Monday (30th June).
