Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department plans to make (a) local fire services and (b) the Environment Agency statutory consultees for battery energy storage sites.

This government takes fire safety extremely seriously. In GB, fires at battery sites are rare and are mitigated by a regulatory framework overseen by the Health and Safety Executive. The latest available 5-year annual average fire incidence rate for GB batteries is 0.7% (2020/21 to 2024 to 2025), lower than for wider non-domestic building fires in England at 0.8% (2019/20 to 2023/24).

We do not intend to make fire authorities or the Environment Agency statutory consultees on planning applications involving Battery Energy Storage Solutions (BESS). However, DEFRA is currently consulting on the principle of including batteries under the scope of the Environmental Permitting Regulations (EPR). EPR requires sites to demonstrate to the Environment Agency that harms are avoided or controlled and would provide for ongoing regulatory inspections.