Agenda item

Application No C24/0532/25/LL Land At Pentir Substation, Pentir, Bangor, LL57 4ED

Meeting of Planning Committee, Monday, 9th September, 2024 1.00 pm (Item 8.)

Proposed Energy Storage facility, related access, landscaping, infrastructure ancillary Equipment, with a grid connection import and export capacity of 57MWac.

LOCAL MEMBER: Councillor Menna Baines

Link to relevant background documents

Decision:

DECISION: To delegate powers to the Senior Planning Manager to approve the application, subject to the receipt of observations from the Transportation Unit and the Public Protection Service and the following conditions:

1. Five years.

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

3. Compliance with the landscaping scheme together with future maintenance work.

4. ⁠Compliance with the recommendations of the Initial Ecological Assessment, Arboriculture Impact Assessment and the Green Infrastructure Statement.

5. Prior submission of an Environmental Construction Method Statement to the LPA.

6. Submission of a Construction Transport Management Plan.

7. Agree on the external materials for the structures.

8. Ensure a Welsh name and bilingual signage with priority given to the Welsh language.

9. Agree on an Archaeological Work Programme

10. Submission of an Environmental Management Plan

11. Transportation and Public Protection conditions, as required

12. The site must be restored to the condition agreed with the Planning Authority once the development's operational period has ended

Notes:

Water and Environment Unit

Natural Resources Wales

Gwynedd Archaeological Planning Service

Minutes:

Proposed Energy Storage Facility, associated access, landscaping, infrastructure, ancillary equipment, with import and export capacity to grid connection of 57MWac.

Attention was drawn to the late observations form which contained observations from the Transportation Unit.

a. The Development Control Officer highlighted that this was a full application for the installation and operation of a Battery Energy Storage System - BESS, including energy storage units, electricity substation, site access, landscaping and supporting infrastructure on land west of the existing Pentir electricity substation. Attention was drawn to all the application's elements, and it was noted that the proposal would enable effective use to be made of the sustainable energy, which was already being generated. ⁠It was reiterated that an underground cable connection to the electricity grid would be secured via a separate planning application.

It was reported that the site comprised 2.57 hectares of rough pasture in an Open Countryside site outside any development boundary and due to the size of the site, it was explained that the applicant had undertaken a pre-application consultation as was required for the development defined as major by the Welsh Government. It was noted that the development had been screened for the Environmental Impact Assessment and it was considered that the impact on the environment was insufficient to justify submitting an environmental statement with the application.

Reference was made to the response and observations of the Highways Unit confirming that they had no objection in principle to the proposal, subject to conditions to ensure that the assessment of the road's condition is completed prior to and after the construction work, and that the Environmental Construction Management Plan and the Construction Traffic Management Plan are submitted and approved.

⁠In the context of the principle of the development, it was highlighted that justification had been given in the Planning, Design and Access Statement to situate the resource on the proposed site based on the proximity of the Pentir Sub-station and the complexity and impact on the landscape of installing cables to connect the battery storage and the National Grid network, which would therefore meet with the requirements of Policy CYFF 1 - that the location was suitable. It was reiterated that Policy ISA 1 was also supportive of proposals for water, electricity, gas services, etc., to improve the provision, subject to detailed planning considerations and noted the importance that the infrastructure provision for the development site is located and designed in a way that reduces the impact on the natural and built environment. By situating the development on this site close to the existing substation, it was considered that the proposal was acceptable in environmental terms.

It was acknowledged that there would be some disruption during construction that would continue for approximately 12 months, however, after this the site would be managed remotely and there would be no staff present at the site, only occasionally for maintenance.

Based on the information submitted it was considered that all the impacts had been sufficiently mitigated, and that the proposal would not be detrimental to visual amenities, to any unacceptable impacts on nearby sensitive uses, or water quality; the location has been justified without cumulative unacceptable impact on the landscape with the equipment being removed from the site at the end of the scheme's life. Consequently, the proposal was considered acceptable, and it was recommended to approve the application with conditions.

b. Taking advantage of the right to speak, the applicant made the following observations.

· That the proposal was to supply an energy storage facility that was essential for the future of low carbon renewable energy.

· That the scheme was in accordance with the requirements of the Welsh Government.

· The storage of energy was key to achieving net-zero.

· The scheme would offer work opportunities to local people.

· That the increase in the use of energy storage was in response to supply and demand.

· That sufficient and established screening already existed near the sub-station.

· That the proposal would not create an impact on the landscape - this is hard grazing land that is low in biodiversity. Despite this, it was intended to undertake more planting to reduce the visual impact.

· Consultation meetings have been conducted with local residents and Pentir Community Council.

· They had worked with the planning officers and stakeholders.

· The scheme had community benefits.

c. Although the Local Member was not present, the member had noted in an e-mail to the Chair that she supported the proposal on the grounds of sustainable development, i.e. that energy storage appeared to be an essential technology when trying to deliver the net zero goal.

ch) It was proposed and seconded to approve the application.