About this project
Planning Application 24/03262/APP
Project documents
Updates
Update 17th March 2025
The planning application has been withdrawn. No reasons have been provided, but the confirmation letter is below.
Buckinghamshire Council – BESS Notice of Withdrawal
Buckinghamshire Council – BESS Notice of Withdrawal
Update 17th January 2025
At the meeting of the Parish Council on the 14th January 2025, the following was resolved:
After listening and considering the concerns of local residents and considering the application, the Parish Council resolved to OBJECT to the application on the following grounds:
• Numerous detailed errors.
• Necessity of BESS in overall UK strategy.
• Cumulative impact – those that are reasonably foreseeable being Rosefield Solar and BESS Replacement East Claydon (National Grid) substation, Tuckey Farm Solar farm Permitted not started) Also Statera still within appeal time, plus unknowns such as the proposed Statkraft (BESS).
• Lack of technical details on plant etc.
• Fire safety issues.
• Location – in middle of field. Very visible cannot be effectively screened.
• Visual impact – screening with fence etc still visible.
• Height of converters etc may need to be raised higher subject to flood/drainage plans.
• Connection to substation – above or below ground – route/where etc. agreements with landowners. National Grid has given an indicative location as their preferred option.
• Noise operational and construction- see EH comments.
• Site lighting – no details.
• Lack of a proper biodiversity appraisal and analysis of the site.
• Construction phase noise.
• Drainage and Flooding – no drainage strategy for the site. See IDB comments.
• Working hours too long.
• Access route – through Granborough which is a bus route, where there is on street parking.
• Narrow bridge into Granborough is incapable of taking the traffic.
• Hogshaw Road has virtually no passing places.
Notwithstanding the above, the Parish considers that the application should be refused on the same but slightly amended grounds as the Bess application as planning application No 23/03875/APP at Rookery far, also off Hogshaw Road.
The proposal which is a large-scale energy development will be introduced into a strongly agricultural landscape and would be significantly incongruous. It will have, despite the proposed mitigation, significant adverse impact on visual amenity and on the landscape character at the site, local and landscape character area levels. Furthermore, the cumulative effects of the proposal with Tuckey Farm (consented permission), the existing East Claydon sub-station, and application no 23/03875/APP for another Bess scheme at Rookery Farm considered and refused by Buckinghamshire Council in December 2024 but could be appealed to the Planning Inspectorate will lead to cumulative visual and landscape character effects which would be significantly adverse. Together this would change the existing predominantly pastoral landscape to one defined by energy development. The proposal is contrary to Policy C3, BE2 and NE4 of the Vale of Aylesbury Local Plan (VALP) 2021 and RC2 and RC3 of the Granborough Neighbourhood Plan (GNP) 2022 and paragraph 187 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) 2024.
In addition, the Parish Council raise concerns on:-
• the time to validate the application (received 28/10 and validated 17/12) . The PC received notification from Buckinghamshire Council the day after the Rookey Farm Bess application was considered by the Council.
• in the view of the Parish Council such a poor-quality application that should not have been validated.
• the number of redactions to documents.
• the applicant says no to Industrial or commercial process and machinery question, this can’t be right?
• there have been no local engagement and consultation by the applicant.
The Parish Council also formally ask that the application be ‘called in’ and considered by the Strategic Sites Committee or the North Area Planning Committee should this application be recommended for approval by officers of the Council.’
The Parish Council has been consulted by Buckinghamshire Council on another battery energy storage system.
The proposal relates to the creation of a 99 MW battery energy storage system (BESS) on land to the South of Hogshaw Road, Granborough, along with associated infrastructure and access.
You can view the application on the following link at the Aylesbury Vale Planning Portal
The application will be discussed by the Parish Council at our next meeting on 14th January 2025 and we will submit our formal comments shortly after.
Individual comments can be made directly to Buckinghamshire Council by following the guidance above.
After listening and considering the concerns of local residents and considering the application, the Parish Council resolved to OBJECT to the application on the following grounds:
• Numerous detailed errors.
• Necessity of BESS in overall UK strategy.
• Cumulative impact – those that are reasonably foreseeable being Rosefield Solar and BESS Replacement East Claydon (National Grid) substation, Tuckey Farm Solar farm Permitted not started) Also Statera still within appeal time, plus unknowns such as the proposed Statkraft (BESS).
• Lack of technical details on plant etc.
• Fire safety issues.
• Location – in middle of field. Very visible cannot be effectively screened.
• Visual impact – screening with fence etc still visible.
• Height of converters etc may need to be raised higher subject to flood/drainage plans.
• Connection to substation – above or below ground – route/where etc. agreements with landowners. National Grid has given an indicative location as their preferred option.
• Noise operational and construction- see EH comments.
• Site lighting – no details.
• Lack of a proper biodiversity appraisal and analysis of the site.
• Construction phase noise.
• Drainage and Flooding – no drainage strategy for the site. See IDB comments.
• Working hours too long.
• Access route – through Granborough which is a bus route, where there is on street parking.
• Narrow bridge into Granborough is incapable of taking the traffic.
• Hogshaw Road has virtually no passing places.
Notwithstanding the above, the Parish considers that the application should be refused on the same but slightly amended grounds as the Bess application as planning application No 23/03875/APP at Rookery far, also off Hogshaw Road.
The proposal which is a large-scale energy development will be introduced into a strongly agricultural landscape and would be significantly incongruous. It will have, despite the proposed mitigation, significant adverse impact on visual amenity and on the landscape character at the site, local and landscape character area levels. Furthermore, the cumulative effects of the proposal with Tuckey Farm (consented permission), the existing East Claydon sub-station, and application no 23/03875/APP for another Bess scheme at Rookery Farm considered and refused by Buckinghamshire Council in December 2024 but could be appealed to the Planning Inspectorate will lead to cumulative visual and landscape character effects which would be significantly adverse. Together this would change the existing predominantly pastoral landscape to one defined by energy development. The proposal is contrary to Policy C3, BE2 and NE4 of the Vale of Aylesbury Local Plan (VALP) 2021 and RC2 and RC3 of the Granborough Neighbourhood Plan (GNP) 2022 and paragraph 187 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) 2024.
In addition, the Parish Council raise concerns on:-
• the time to validate the application (received 28/10 and validated 17/12) . The PC received notification from Buckinghamshire Council the day after the Rookey Farm Bess application was considered by the Council.
• in the view of the Parish Council such a poor-quality application that should not have been validated.
• the number of redactions to documents.
• the applicant says no to Industrial or commercial process and machinery question, this can’t be right?
• there have been no local engagement and consultation by the applicant.
The Parish Council also formally ask that the application be ‘called in’ and considered by the Strategic Sites Committee or the North Area Planning Committee should this application be recommended for approval by officers of the Council.’
The Parish Council has been consulted by Buckinghamshire Council on another battery energy storage system.
The proposal relates to the creation of a 99 MW battery energy storage system (BESS) on land to the South of Hogshaw Road, Granborough, along with associated infrastructure and access.
You can view the application on the following link at the Aylesbury Vale Planning Portal
The application will be discussed by the Parish Council at our next meeting on 14th January 2025 and we will submit our formal comments shortly after.
Individual comments can be made directly to Buckinghamshire Council by following the guidance above.
Update 31st December 2024
The Parish Council has been consulted by Buckinghamshire Council on another battery energy storage system.
The proposal relates to the creation of a 99 MW battery energy storage system (BESS) on land to the South of Hogshaw Road, Granborough, along with associated infrastructure and access.
You can view the application on the following link at the Aylesbury Vale Planning Portal
The application will be discussed by the Parish Council at our next meeting on 14th January 2025 and we will submit our formal comments shortly after.
Individual comments can be made directly to Buckinghamshire Council by following the guidance above.
The proposal relates to the creation of a 99 MW battery energy storage system (BESS) on land to the South of Hogshaw Road, Granborough, along with associated infrastructure and access.
You can view the application on the following link at the Aylesbury Vale Planning Portal
The application will be discussed by the Parish Council at our next meeting on 14th January 2025 and we will submit our formal comments shortly after.
Individual comments can be made directly to Buckinghamshire Council by following the guidance above.