Policy GESP8: Energy Storage
Proposals for renewable and low carbon energy storage will be supported in principle. Developments should be sited:
- At a suitable distance from residential areas and avoid, or where reasonable, minimise and mitigate impacts upon local amenity
- Where an acceptable standard of road safety can be achieved
- Where landscape and visual impacts can be satisfactorily mitigated
- Where there is no unacceptable harm to the significance of heritage assets
- Where they do not have a likely significant effect or adverse effect on the integrity of Natura 2000 sites.
In addition, applicants will need to demonstrate that there are no excessive noise impacts resulting from the proposal, including from heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems and cumulative noise.
5.18 The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that the planning system should help to support renewable and low carbon energy and associated Energy storage is crucial to increasing the proportion of renewable and low carbon energy in the system. We propose that the GESP will support energy storage systems in order to help meet the energy needs of the area and maximise renewable energy use whilst maintaining amenity and minimising environmental impact.
5.19 Storage encompasses a wide range of technologies. Lithium-ion batteries and pumped hydro- electric are the dominant technology types for storage schemes at present. Favoured locations have tended to be close to a suitable sub-station in order to provide grid services. Sites can be brownfield or greenfield. In addition, storage co-located with renewables is an emerging business model that may see more uptake in the near future.
5.20 The overall scale of energy storage developments is expected to be commensurate with immediate physical surroundings, particularly in the case of new build. Furthermore, proposals must take full account of any impacts, including cumulative, on health and safety and the environmental effects of noise, vibration or other forms of nuisance. A suitable distance for energy storage facilities from existing residential areas will be required to mitigate against noise impacts.