Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has conducted an impact assessment of the fire risk for residents living near Coryton Energy Park.

Due to the role of MHCLG Ministers in the planning system it would not be appropriate for me to comment on specific cases. For the same reason, Ministers do not actively engage communities in relation to specific development proposals.

The Health and Safety Executive regulates grid-scale batteries within a robust framework which requires industry to act at all stages of the battery’s deployment to ensure safety. Of particular relevance to fire safety, the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations (2002) set out requirements to protect workers and others from fire risks.