Campaigners fighting against industrial plans near Desborough claim huge developments would 'put village at unacceptable risk"
Campaigners fighting against industrial plans near Braybrooke said the huge developments would "industrialise a medieval river valley."
Three separate companies - Elmya, Regener8 and Aura Power - want to build almost 1,000 battery storage containers (known as a BESS - Battery Energy Storage System) on farmland in the Jordan Valley near Braybrooke.
Now villagers in the area want people to make sure their views are heard before the planning deadline at the end of this month (September).
A campaign group called Stop the BESS – Protect Braybrooke has been set up. A spokesperson for the group said: "The combined impact of all three BESS sites planned around Braybrooke has been ignored. Its size, density, and location go against planning guidance on both risk management and environmental protection — and put our village at unacceptable risk."
The protesters added: "These are not clean or green solutions. Each container would sit on tonnes of concrete, imported and assembled from parts and heavy metals sourced worldwide. Their life span is only 20 to 25 years, leaving behind polluted ground and a valley scarred with steel and fencing.
"The greatest danger comes from where they are sited. The fields chosen sit at the very source of the River Jordan, which flows through Braybrooke and on into the Welland at Market Harborough. Every winter, the valley floods. To pour hard concrete surfaces over this land will drive more water into the river system, worsening flooding for the village and downstream into Harborough itself. The containers, placed directly in the floodpath, would also be at monumental risk.
"The valley would lose much more than safety. Ridge and furrow fields that have survived since medieval times, ancient hedgerows, wildlife corridors and public footpaths would be erased by container yards and floodlighting. The spire of Braybrooke church, which has stood as a landmark for centuries, would look out over an industrial wasteland."
All three companies argue that a BESS would "enable energy (electricity) to be used more flexibly and decarbonise our energy system cost-effectively," helping the council towards its carbon zero targets.
They also said that impact studies have been carried out to mitigate any potential loss of habitat or flooding.
Aura Power added that the company did consider building a BESS in Market Harborough but there was not room.
"On this basis the only available option is development within the open countryside," it concluded.
"A review of the made version of the Braybrooke Neighbourhood Plan (June 2023) has also been undertaken to ensure that the BESS is located beyond the area of separation, outside of any significant environmental / historical (including ridge and furrow) features and does not impact important views of Braybrooke.
"The BESS would support the decarbonisation of the energy industry in the UK. The changing nature of the UK’s energy requirements is clearly defined in Government Energy Policy and is supported by the anticipated requirements of the National
Energy System Operator."
The planning applications are now live and comments are being accepted. The deadlines for Elmya (25/00810/FUL) and Regener8 (25/00818/FUL) are September 22. The Aura application (25/00712/FUL) is still open.
Comments can also be emailed to [email protected]
For more information on the campaign, visit BraybrookeUnited.co.uk
The plans can be viewed online at https://www.northnorthants.gov.uk (search for planning).
Here are the links to the individual plans:
1. Aura Power BESS (Harborough Road, near substation)
2. Elmya RPC BESS (up from substation, Harborough Road)
3. Regener8 BESS (Eckland Lodge, Desborough bypass)