480MW battery storage system at Fairlawns Farm, Chelmsford Road, Rayleigh

“ADDRESS Fairlawns Farm, Chelmsford Road, Rayleigh. APPLICATION DETAILS Construct unmanned battery energy storage system (BESS) with a total import capacity of up to 480MW including installation of equipment within substation compound, acoustic and other boundary fencing, building to house customer control room, water tanks, laying of hard standing including to form internal access roads and siting of storage containers, some elevated.”

“The site is located towards the western edge of the district close to the boundaries with Basildon Borough Council and Castle Point Borough Council areas. The site is immediately north-east of the Fairglen roundabout with the A1245 adjacent to the western boundary and the A127 adjacent to the southern boundary. The northern boundary is bordered by a railway line whilst open agricultural land extends beyond the site’s eastern boundary.”

“The site is comprised of largely open, undeveloped land which is laid to grass save for an access track and a cluster of development which appears to comprise of various stored materials and which includes a double-decked bus and several buildings which appear to be in a dilapidated condition. A ditch runs across the site and this culverted in places.”

“MATERIAL PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS Relevant Planning History 08/00944/LDC - Application for a lawful development certificate for the Retention of Existing polytunnel, storage container and two existing classroom units at the Site. GRANTED.”

“The site is currently used as a showground for a variety of temporary events and marquees are erected at the site when needed for this purpose.”

“Planning Balance 2.75 The proposed development would by virtue of its scale and location result in moderate harm to landscape character at a local level and some harm to visual amenity. Other considerations would either result in no harm or harm that could be reduced to insignificant harm as a result of the implementation of mitigation through the imposition of appropriate conditions.”

“It is considered that the public benefits of the proposal in terms of providing infrastructure to support the transition to a low carbon future is of sufficient magnitude to outweigh the harm which would result including in relation to landscape character and visual amenity.”

“Cllr C M Stanley requested that condition 11 be amended to require the battery storage containers to be painted in a two-tone green colour rather than the colours referred to in the condition as set out in the published committee report. The reason given for this was that a two-tone green would more successfully blend the appearance of the containers into the landscape and better mitigate visual harm from the development.”

“Cllr L Shaw requested that hedge and shrub planting at the site be planted initially using more substantial plants than whips where this would be appropriate to provide a greater initial impact of the soft landscaping and its effect in terms of screening and mitigating the visual impact of the development.”

“The Chairman moved a motion, seconded by Cllr S Wilson to approve the application subject to Heads of Terms of a S106 legal agreement and conditions on page 6.2 – 6.14 of the report, taking account of the changes to condition 11 and condition 17 as set out.”

“That the application be approved subject to the Heads of Terms of a S106 legal agreement and subject to the following conditions.”