Proposal for Battery Storage Facility Near Future Residential Development

A battery storage facility is being considered for construction adjacent to an old Black Country quarry, a location designated for 270 new residential properties. This installation would occupy nearly two acres of land at the former Edwin Richards Quarry in Rowley Regis. The initiative to fill the quarry and erect 270 new homes there received initial approval in 2018, with final endorsement from Sandwell Council last year. Currently, an application has been submitted to secure permission for the installation of 56 storage containers and related infrastructure. The proposed site would serve to store surplus energy for subsequent use and is planned to remain operational for 40 years before its removal. Downing Renewable Developments is the entity that submitted this planning application to Sandwell Council. The company stated that “The work would have the country meet energy and climate change targets, and would have no significant residual adverse impacts for the community.” According to FCC Environment, the applicant and landowner, the residential units are anticipated to be constructed within the next six to eight years. These homes will comprise a combination of one- and two-bedroom flats, alongside two- to four-bedroom houses, with 11 of these designated as ‘affordable’ homes. A multi-million-pound initiative to redevelop the former Edwin Richards Quarry was initially unveiled ten years ago. This comprehensive plan encompassed the construction of hundreds of new homes, a waste processing facility, and a commitment to infill the quarry with 12 million tonnes of imported materials over a minimum period of 30 years. The quarry itself possessed a history spanning over a century, during which it was actively involved in the extraction of dolerite, famously recognized as Rowley Rag and widely utilized in road construction, prior to its closure in 2008. Information for this report was compiled by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, an organization that reports on local councils and various public service bodies. For updates, follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X, and Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external websites. Further details on our external linking policy are available.