Havering Council’s strategic planning committee are expected to grant planning permission for a battery energy storage facility on green belt land near St Marys Lane.
The proposals – put forward by renewable energy firm Clearstone Energy – would see battery containers built across around 11 hectares of farmland for a “temporary” period of 40 years.
A council report published ahead of a committee meeting on Thursday (July 10) reveals that the plans are recommended for approval – despite their potential to have a “significant impact” on the green belt land.
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The application was called in by Upminster ward councillors Oscar Ford, Christopher Wilkins and Jacqueline Williams.
They raised concerns about the “loss of productive agricultural land” as well as the “health and safety risks” associated with battery storage near residential properties.
Other worries included the effect of the facility on surface drainage, which “could lead to local flooding in the area”.
On top of the councillor comments, the proposals were met with 119 objections from residents and businesses.
However, the council report states that Clearstone Energy has put forward a case of “very special circumstance” for the development, which outweighs the “harm” it could cause.
It argues that the use of a green belt site for a development of this kind is “almost inevitable” due to the lack of available sites which can connect into the National Grid.
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The report added that there will be “sustainability benefits” from the proposal as it will help meet decarbonisation targets and balance the supply and demand of the electricity network.
But Cllrs Ford, Wilkins and Williams argued that the development “does not appear to meet the very special circumstances” needed to build on green belt land.
If approved, the site will store 200MW of energy, which is enough to power all the homes in Havering and Thurrock for four hours, according to Clearstone Energy.
The firm has also offered to contribute £50,000 a year to support community projects in the area.
