Battery Safety Management Plan

On Wednesday 28th February Swale Borough Council’s Planning Committee voted to refuse Cleve Hill Solar Park’s proposed Battery Safety Management Plan (BSMP).

The BSMP was submitted to the Council to discharge Requirement 3, Battery Safety Management of the Cleve Hill Solar Park DCO (requirements are similar to local planning conditions).

This plan sets out how the solar park team will manage the safety of the energy storage element of the solar park during its lifespan. This includes the construction, operational, and decommissioning stages.

Permission for energy storage at Cleve Hill Solar Park was granted by Development Consent Order (DCO) in May 2020. It is a key element of the project’s contribution to decarbonising the UK’s electricity grid.

Cleve Hill Solar Park developed the Battery Safety Management Plan through industry expertise and engagement with local stakeholders. Our work to ensure the plans are robust and thorough was recognised by the planning officers at Swale Borough Council who recommended that the plans should be approved.

We are grateful for the engagement with statutory consultee the Kent Fire and Rescue Service, who agreed the mitigation measures set out within the BSMP.

Following requests from the local community Swale Borough Council appointed an independent battery storage expert, Battery Safety and Testing Consulting (BST&T) to review the plans on their behalf. BST&T concluded that the BSMP would deliver battery storage in accordance with all applicable safety legislation and guidance.