MP demands Bucks Council reject ‘industrial-scale’ battery site which will see 480 shipping containers situated in countryside
Mid Buckinghamshire MP Greg Smith has written to Bucks Council to raise his objection to plans for a huge battery storage site made up of 480 shipping container-style units proposed for farmland near Holmer Green.
The proposals, lodged by energy company Voltis, cover 11 hectares of agricultural land north of Mop End Farm, with access from Mop End Lane. Plans show hundreds of metal battery boxes, each fitted with air conditioning units, set on either concrete footings or screw pile foundations depending on soil conditions.
The facility, which could store up to 100 megawatts of electricity, would also include an electricity substation, 3m-high CCTV cameras, and 2.4m-high security and acoustic fencing. Developers have promised that existing trees and hedgerows will be retained, with new planting to help reduce the visual impact.
Despite these assurances, the scheme lies within both the Green Belt and the Chilterns National Landscape (formerly Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty), where national and local policy require special protection.
In a letter to Buckinghamshire Council, Greg Smith MP said the site was “wholly inappropriate” and would cause “lasting visual harm” to the countryside.
“The scheme would remove valuable agricultural land, introduce prison-style fencing and large battery units, and cause lasting visual harm,” he warned.
“Noise, light, and fire risks add further unacceptable impacts. Alternative locations exist, but this has been chosen simply for cost reasons.”
Planners for Voltis, however, previously argued the impact will be limited. Consultant Emma Ridley, from Pegasus, said: “The nature of the proposed development is for battery storage development, a technology which is well understood and in operation elsewhere throughout the UK, and therefore would not result in any unusual, complex or potentially hazardous environmental effects.”
Battery energy storage sites are becoming increasingly common across the country as part of the move towards renewable energy. They act as a buffer to the National Grid, storing surplus electricity generated from sources such as wind and solar so it can be released when demand is high.
But across Buckinghamshire, such proposals have triggered fierce debate. A planned battery site at Claydon has already drawn heavy criticism from campaigners and councillors, who say the county’s rural landscapes are the wrong place for what are essentially industrial-scale installations.
Mr Smith added that the Mop End Farm proposal repeats the same pattern: “Yet again another proposed battery storage facility that is wholly inappropriate for this rural location. The site lies in the Green Belt and the Chilterns National Landscape, where policy requires protection and enhancement, not industrialisation.”
Buckinghamshire Council will consider the application (reference PL/25/2447/FA) in the coming months.
Residents can view the plans and other applications on the Public Notice Portal.