Energy Firm to Challenge Council’s Rejection of Battery Storage Project

An energy company has announced its intention to appeal a local council’s decision, which it described as “troubling,” to deny approval for a battery storage facility planned for fields in Lancashire. Energi Generation aims to construct the 99.9-megawatt installation on a disused coal mine site located in Padiham, situated near the boundary of Burnley and Ribble Valley. However, Burnley Council’s development control committee cast votes to turn down the proposal, citing concerns over its potential effect on the designated green belt countryside. According to a planning officer’s report, the envisioned facility would be “strikingly at odds with the openness and rural character of the countryside.” The report further indicated that the location would feature a “large and conspicuous expanse of industrial plant,” as reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service. In response, Energi Generation, based in Lancashire, expressed that it was “extremely disappointed” by the council’s ruling. A spokesperson stated, “The council have ignored the substantial benefits of this scheme and have demonstrated a troubling pattern of limited cooperation and inadequate communication throughout the process.” The company further alleged that Burnley Council was “choosing to ignore” the Labour Government’s Clean Power 2030 report, which advocates for a five-fold expansion in battery storage capacity. The spokesperson also remarked, “It is particularly notable no statutory consultees raised objections to the application and only nine local objections were raised which bizarrely were not shared with Energi until the council announced their intention to refuse the scheme.” Furthermore, the company noted that a “very detailed” site selection report had indicated a scarcity of suitable alternative sites located sufficiently close to local sub-stations and the broader grid infrastructure. The firm confirmed its intention to lodge an appeal with the Planning Inspectorate.