RESIDENTS opposed to plans to build a battery storage site in the heart of a neighbourhood have received a boost as Frome Town Council unanimously voted to object to the plans.
Sites such as the one proposed for land north of Styles Close in Frome would store excess renewable energy so it can then be used for future consumption. Residents had previously raised concerns about the fire risk of the site given that it would be less than 50 metres away from the nearest home, as well as concerns over a constant low-level noise coming from the site.
At a meeting of the planning committee last week councillors were informed that the developers have said that the location for the site is considered to be the “most suitable site” for a proposed energy storage facility as it is next to an existing substation and that there is no current guidance on the set-back distances from proposed sites such as these to residential properties. They also insist that the site will not operate continuously and it will not produce noise 24/7.
However, Frome town councillors unanimously voted against the plans on the grounds that the proposed site is too close to homes, there is a risk to public safety from a potential fire, as well as recommendations from the National Fire Chief Council that say there are issues with access, the distance between the units from each other and the houses, and the fire suppression system that will be used.
“For me this is between public safety and commercial gain, and you can’t weigh one up against the other. This site has been chosen because it is the most cost-effective way of storing the energy close to the substation and I’m sorry, but there is no price on human safety that will allow me to support this application”, said cllr Andy Jones.
Cllr Polly Lamb added, “We have done our hardest to wrap our heads around the technology that is being proposed and we’ve listened to both sides extensively. There are many issues with this application including the noise, the visual impact and the state of the land itself, but we keep coming back to this fire safety issue.
“I think it’s great that energy storage sites are being rolled out in theory, but what I think is lacking is that we don’t have official guidelines for planning boards at this level to be able to confidently say that we understand it – and we have really tried. I want really strict advice that applies some sort of checklist that we can put against these plans and if we don’t have this, then we are grappling in the dark. I would have to object to it in good faith.”
Cllr Fiona Barrows said, “This is the technology we need to de-carbonise our grid and there is a benefit for Frome here and there is the argument that this is the most energy efficient location – I’m not disputing that it’s also the most cost effective. I think it’s great that the company wants to bring this technology to Frome and it is necessary for the future of the planet. However, the main issue here is safety and I feel with this site being this close to houses, it shouldn’t just meet the bare minimum requirements – the safety should be robust and the plans should have more detail and be clearer, so I would support objecting to this. I really hope they look at other areas in Frome if this gets rejected.”
Cllr Mark Dorrington said, “Reading into the very technical documents it seems relatively untested technology. We’ve heard about fire mitigation measures should the proposed site go wrong, but Frome’s fire service is retained – it will be people going about their normal days getting a call to go to Styles Close to put out a fire in a technological environment and we cannot expect volunteer firefighters to be kept up to speed with what could possibly go wrong there. We would normally be really keen to adopt new technology like this, but this is too experimental and certainly too close to people’s houses.”
Mayor of Frome cllr Philip Campagna said, “Once a lithium-ion battery ignites, the chemical explosion that takes place does require oxygen – its self-feeding and you can pour as much water on it as you like, it just won’t go out, which is why fire services who have had to deal with this across the world normally just let them burn out. This technology is very experimental, and this could very much be a stopgap with the emerging flow batteries which are non-toxic. I have a degree in chemistry and what I’ve heard has made me very concerned.”
The plans will now go to Somerset Council where a decision will be made whether or not to approve the plans. You can view the plans in full by searching 2023/1070/FUL on Somerset Council’s planning portal.
