Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment (a) his Department, (b) its arms-length bodies and (c) planning authorities have made of the potential impact of grid-scale battery energy storage solution systems on the safety of nearby residential units.

Grid-scale battery energy storage systems (BESS) are regulated by the Health and Safety Executive within a robust framework which requires BESS designers, installers, and operators to take the necessary measures to ensure health and safety throughout all stages of the system’s construction, operation, and decommissioning.

BESS projects are considered by the local planning regime in England. The government has updated planning practice guidance to encourage BESS developers to engage with local fire and rescue services, and for local planning authorities to refer to guidance published by the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC). The NFCC’s current guidance proposes a minimum distance of 25 metres between BESS and occupied buildings.