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Dismissed7 October 20266003095

Land at Newlands Farm, Land North West of B3165, Axminster, EX13 5SF

Planning appeal 6003095 at Land at Newlands Farm, Land North West of B3165, Axminster, EX13 5SF (East Devon) was dismissed on 7 October 2026, following an inquiry. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether the site is suitable for the proposed development taking account of ground conditions and any risks arising from fire and contamination, including to public health and the natural environment, with particular regard to the water environment.

Construction and operation of up to a 80MW Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), comprising battery container units; inverter-transformer skid units, electrical substation buildings; substation compound; access roads; water storage tanks; fencing; CCTV; landscaping, and all ancillary grid infrastructure and associated works

Authority
East Devon
Appeal type
major · Planning
Procedure
Inquiry
Development
utilities-energy
Postcode
EX13 5SF

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

  • Whether the site is suitable for the proposed development taking account of ground conditions and any risks arising from fire and contamination, including to public health and the natural environment, with particular regard to the water environment
  • Whether the proposal would conserve or enhance the natural beauty of the Dorset National Landscape

What decided it

The Inspector was not satisfied that the drainage scheme could reliably contain and prevent contaminated firewater from polluting the principal aquifer that supplies nearby residents' drinking water in the event of a fire occurring during a storm event.

the benefits of the scheme outweighed the moderate harm to the Dorset National Landscape but were insufficient to outweigh the very substantial, overriding, unacceptable risks of pollution of the water environment

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies
Strategy 39Policy EN14Policy EN18Strategy 46
National Planning Policy Framework
Paragraph 3Policy P3Policy W3Policy N4Policy S5Policy CC2

How the Inspector dealt with each one is set out in the app, in order: the development plan, national policy, housing land supply, other considerations and the planning balance, beside the letter.

See how each was applied

The decision letter

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More decisions in East Devon

The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2026

  1. Allowed19 October 20266007622
    1 Jennings Gardens, Tithebarn, Exeter, EX1 4BL
  2. Dismissed13 August 20263369854
    Land Just South of Hazlehurst, Raymonds Hill, Axminster, Devon, EX13 5UH
  3. Allowed10 July 20266005764
    Land North East of Parkfield Cottages, Pink House Corner, Lympstone, EX8 5AH
  4. Allowed10 July 20266004696
    10 Marine Parade, Budleigh Salterton, EX9 6NS
  5. Dismissed22 June 20266004123
    Land Formerly Devonshire Inn Cottage, Upottery, EX14 9NE

The main issues, what decided it, the planning balance and the policies and judgments listed as cited are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro and are our summary, not the Inspector’s words; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.

In the app this decision sits on the map beside every appeal around it, with its letter to read and the main issues, policies and judgments cited picked out.