A proposal which could have seen large battery storage facilities developed on Green Belt land has been rejected.
The principled decision to reject the proposals at the Council’s Executive meeting on Wednesday followed interest from developers who were interested in developing battery storage facilities. The proposal, which would have affected council owned land at Wickham Court Farm and would be subject to planning permission, would have seen large scale batteries being used to take power from the National Grid when there is limited demand for electricity and sold back at periods of peak electricity demand.
Councillor Colin Smith, Leader of Bromley Council said, “The simple straightforward and unequivocal answer to this request is no. This council will not be a part of any proposal which erodes our precious Green Belt, land which serves to define the very essence of our borough’s identity. It is clearly right and proper new business opportunities should be examined, but not at any cost, and definitely not at the cost of Green Belt land, which once developed, is lost to us forever. The Green belt is there for a very good reason and we owe it to the future generations who follow us, as well of course to our natural environment to preserve it.”
The proposal could have seen 20 acres of farmland developed, which is part of Wickham Court Farm, and the freehold owned by the council. The farmland is part of Green Belt land in the southern part of the borough, near Coney Hall.
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