Land South of Walton Road, Drakelow, DE15 9UA

Battery Energy Storage System with associated access, landscaping and ancillary works

Authority: South Derbyshire District Council
Appeal type: major · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: utilities-energy · Other Major Developments
Inspector: Raygen Z

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

The effect of the proposal on Best and Most Versatile Agricultural Land
The effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area

What decided it

The significant benefits of renewable energy storage in supporting net zero targets and grid stability, combined with secured grid connection by 2028 and substantial biodiversity net gain, outweighed the short-term localised harm to landscape character that would be mitigated long-term through landscaping.

Framework references: 11, 168

Plan policies cited: Policy BNE5, Policy BNE12

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What an account adds

Draw a red line around your site and the appraisal follows.
- Heritage. Listed buildings by grade and distance, conservation areas, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, heritage at risk.
- Landscape and environment. Green belt, national parks and national landscapes, SSSIs, ancient woodland, SPA, SAC and Ramsar sites, nutrient catchments.
- Flooding. Flood zones 2 and 3, surface water, and both again with climate change.
- Transport. The 800 metre station catchment and service frequency, bus stops with their weekday frequency, the cycle network, and the Framework’s transport tests measured for the site.
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