®Planning appeal decision
Lane West of Battlesbridge, Rettendon, Wickford, Essex, SS11 7RJ
the construction of a battery energy storage system and ancillary development
- Authority
- Chelmsford Borough Council
- Appeal type
- major · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- utilities-energy · Other Major Developments
- Inspector
- Sylvester G
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- The effect of the proposed development on the openness and purposes of the Green Belt
- The effect of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the area
- Whether any harm by reason of inappropriateness, and any other harm, would be clearly outweighed by other considerations so as to amount to the very special circumstances required to justify the proposal
What decided it
The demonstrable national need for battery energy storage in close proximity to Rayleigh Substation to deliver essential grid balancing and reactive power capabilities, combined with robust evidence that no suitable sites exist outside the Green Belt, constituted very special circumstances that clearly outweighed the substantial harm to Green Belt openness and moderate harm to character and appearance.
Framework references: 142, 143, 152, 153
Plan policies cited: Policy S11, Policy DM6, Policy DM19
The main issues and the deciding factor are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.