Location
As the National Grid transitions to a greener, cleaner system, modern substations up and down the country will require BESS systems like this one. This Site has been chosen primarily due to its proximity to the new National Grid Substation at the junction of Eastbourne Road with the A22.
Other factors that make this site suitable for BESS are:
Exclusively 3b (lower quality) land
Naturally well screened, however additional native planting has been planned
Single field, meaning hedgerows and woodland can be retained
Footpaths will not be affected
Avoids greenbelt
While we are confident that this is an appropriate location, our planning application will be accompanied with a robust suite of surveys and reports, including:
Planning, Design and Access Statement
Planning Application Drawings
Landscape and Visual Appraisal
Heritage Desk Based Assessment
Flood Risk Assessment / Drainage Strategy
Ecological Impact Assessment
Biodiversity Net Gain Assessment and associated DEFRA metric
Noise Impact Assessment
Transport Statement and Construction Traffic Management Plan
Arboricultural Impact Assessment
Fire Safety Strategy Report
ALC Report
Geotech Report
Statement of Community Involvement
Geophysics Report
Photomontages
Other locations have been considered, and dismissed for varying reasons, including cabling, environmental, and legal constraints.
Access
The current plan is for HGVs to access from the South, following the A22, B2192, Palehouse Common, and Sand Hill Lane.
Construction is expected to take around 12 months. Noise would be minimal as the units are pre-fabricated off-site
All routes would be subject to a construction traffic management plan, which will be publicly available on submission
Once the site is operational it would be visited just once or twice a month, typically in a single 4x4 vehicle
An additional track to the north-west of the site would provide secondary access in the unlikely event that the primary access becomes temporarily unavailable
Wealden District Council:
Wealden District Council’s Climate Emergency Plan states:
“Battery storage […] can improve the efficiency of other systems, helping to improve the viability of renewable technologies, increase security of supply and save money.”
Green Wealden Objective:
“To promote Sustainable Development throughout the District.”
Objective 15 of Wealden’s 22 Sustainability Objectives is:
“Promote energy efficiency measures and encourage the use of renewable energy.”