Issue - meetings

Installation of underground electricity cable in association with Pentir BESS energy storage scheme (LPA reference: C24/0532/25/LL)

LOCAL MEMBERS: Councillor Menna Baines and Councillor Elwyn Jones

Link to relevant background documents

DECISION: To approve in accordance with the following conditions:

1.         Five years.

2.         In accordance with the plans/details submitted with the application.

3.         Compliance with the recommendations of the Preliminary Ecological Evaluation, Arboriculture Impact Assessment and the Green Infrastructure Statement.

4.         Submission of an Environmental Construction Management Plan to manage impacts on the natural environment.  

5.         Submission of a Construction Management Plan to manage amenity matters.

6.         Agree on an Archaeological Work Programme.

7.         Submit a Site Restoration Plan to restore the site to a condition agreed the Planning Authority after the development's operational period has ended

8.         Submission of a plan for eradicating Himalayan Balsam from the site.

9.         Submit details of the underground drilling method with launching points              outside the tree roots protection areas.

Notes:

Natural Resources Wales

Gwynedd Archaeological Planning Service

Installation of an underground electricity cable in association with Pentir BESS energy storage scheme (LPA ref: C24/0532/25/LL)

Attention was drawn to the late observations form.

a)     The Planning Manager highlighted that it was a full planning application for the installation of an 830m underground cable between the Pentir electricity substation and the nearby Battery Energy Storage System facility which was approved by planning permission in 2024. The installation period was expected to take a maximum of 10 weeks, with the cable being laid underground either through trenches dug on the surface and filled back, or through Horizontal Directional Drilling.

It was explained that the site is an Open Countryside site and within the Dinorwig Landscape of Outstanding Historic Interest with a small area within Flood Zone 3 (surface water and watercourses). To the north of the site the adjacent woodland is a recognised "Regional Wildlife Site" and is listed on the Ancient Woodlands List as a "Plantation on an Ancient Woodland Site". It was also noted that the land was classified as 3a, 3b and 5 on the predictive Agricultural Land Classification Map for Wales.

In this case, the proposal is located with the intention to connect two sites that have permission and therefore the rural location is unavoidable. Attention was drawn to policy ISA 1 which is supportive of proposals for water, electricity, gas, etc services to improve provision, subject to detailed planning considerations. The policy states the importance of the infrastructure provision for a development site being located and designed in a manner that minimises the impact on the natural and built environment. This development will be placed entirely underground, and therefore the proposal was deemed to comply with the requirements of ISA 1. 

The method of laying the cable will be a mix of providing surface dug and backfilled trenches, or through Horizontal Directional Drilling within areas where tree roots and tree-dwelling species need to be protected. The areas that will be subject to the drilling method have been identified, partly because of Natural Resources Wales' comments. The confirmation of the use of the drilling method in these specific areas together with imposing a planning condition for agreeing the launch points of the drilling method ensures that the trees and species are protected. As a result, the proposal was deemed acceptable. It was reiterated that Natural Resources Wales had provided a response on the 14 November stating that they were now satisfied with the proposal. There will be no above-ground impact following the installation of the cable and therefore it was not considered to have a long-term impact on any habitat or agricultural land.

It was recognised that there will be inconvenience from noise and movement during the construction phase, but this period was considered to be short, and subject to conditions dealing with noise, dust and vibration matters, together with the prior agreement of a Building Control Plan, it was considered that it could alleviate any impacts and therefore the proposal was acceptable in this  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8