A proposed battery storage facility on farmland in York has been rejected by the City of York Council due to significant fire safety concerns and its location on green belt land.
The application, submitted by Net Zero Fourteen Ltd, aimed to construct a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) on a 3.4-hectare site off Murton Way, near Osbaldwick.
The facility was designed to store surplus energy from the power grid, releasing it during peak demand to support national and local climate goals.
The project included plans for 104 battery storage units arranged in rows, 14 transformers, and a 240,000-litre water storage tank.
The site would have been surrounded by fencing, equipped with CCTV, and connected to the existing substation in Osbaldwick.
Despite these intentions, York Council’s Planning Committee voted to refuse the application. The decision was influenced by concerns over fire safety, particularly due to the site’s limited access via a single narrow track on Outgang Lane.
The proposal drew a mixed response. Thirteen letters of support were submitted, with environmentalist John Cossham urging councillors to approve the plan on environmental grounds.
Speaking for the company, Steven Gough emphasised the facility’s importance in achieving climate goals and argued that fire risks had been independently assessed, with no expert evidence supporting the objections.
However, seven objections were raised, including from Mark Warters, an independent councillor for Osbaldwick and Derwent.
Concerns included traffic disruption, potential harm to the green belt, noise pollution, water contamination risks, and unresolved fire safety issues.
Labour Councillor Jonny Crawshaw, chair of the Planning Committee, acknowledged the gravity of the fire safety concerns, stating it would be challenging to approve the application against such significant risks.
