REACH PC MAIN POINTS OF CONCERN ABOUT THE GRENERGY SCHEME

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REACH PC MAIN POINTS OF CONCERN ABOUT THE GRENERGY SCHEME

 

 

The PC’s main concerns about Grenergy’s  proposed battery storage are:

 

  • The threat to public health should a fire break out at the site.  Fires are a known and unavoidable risk in battery storage schemes.  The damage caused by recent fires at battery storage schemes demonstrates that this site is too close to houses in the village.  Fires at battery storage schemes of the type proposed cannot be extinguished and can only be managed by the Fire Service until they have burnt out.  During this period, which may last several days, the fire would produce highly toxic gases which can affect areas a considerable distance from the fire itself.  The water used by the Fire Service to manage the fire would also become contaminated with poisons and we have doubts that all the polluted water could be contained on site.  Leakage into the surrounding area is possible.

 

  • The threat to the natural environment were a fire to break out at the site. As mentioned above, a fire would release toxins into the surrounding air and probably into water courses.  The toxins would damage nearby plants and wildlife.  The threat could extend to  the Devil’s Dyke Site of Special Scientific Interest and the Wicken Fen National Nature Reserve.

 

  •  The fans that cool the batteries will be heard on nearby recreational land including the 24 Acres.  The noise will be completely out of keeping with the otherwise tranquil rural conditions.  It is possible that the noise will intrude into homes closest to the site.

 

  • Visual impact. The large battery containers and associated buildings will bring an industrialised footprint to the landscape.   This would add greatly degrade the value of nearby recreational land including the 24 Acres.  The vegetative screening proposed by the developer will take many years to grow and will look out of character in the open landscape that surrounds the site.