Stoke-on-Trent City Council's Planning Committee recently heard a controversial planning application, which proposed to build a new electric storage facility on land neighbouring the former Chatterley Whitfield Colliery.
However, members of the committee raised their concerns around the lack of measures to mitigate against the impact on the area by the site development, along with further concerns around biodiversity and heritage impact. During the meeting, members of the committee voted to defer the decision to allow for further consideration of the areas of concerns.
Cllr Dave Evans is ward councillor for Baddeley Milton and Norton - the ward where the planning application falls and is also a member of the planning committee.
In his first opinion article for the site, Cllr Evans sets out context behind his reasons for asking for a deferral of the decision.
Recently, the planning application that came forward for the development of a battery storage site was deferred by Stoke-on-Trent City Council. As one of the councillors on the committee that supported the decision to defer the decision, I wanted to provide some context as to how I reached my decision.
I do understand the need for this sort of facility in the current climate; indeed the need for facilities like this is only going to increase with demand on the national grid expected to continue to outstrip supply for the near future. I also accept that the site next the Chatterley Whitfield, albeit in greenbelt does make sense. It is an area that always been industrial in nature, meaning that the BESS site would not look overly out of place next to the colliery. I actually think this is a much stronger application than the neighbouring application currently awaiting a decision at Staffordshire Moorlands District Council, which would see a BESS site built next to the River Trent, in an area which is not only greenbelt, but indeed a field for dairy cows currently.
My concern is that whilst these facilities are needed for the national good, my residents would pay the price through the loss of much loved and used greenery. I do believe in situations like this that there is a moral obligation for organisations to invest in the communities that their facilities sit in. Particularly when they sit to such a significant piece of heritage as Chatterley Whitfield.
I would hope that when the application comes back to the planning committee, that the value such a site would have for my residents in Ball Green and Norton would be increased through support by the applicants of the vision, developed by Stoke-on-Trent City Council, Historic England and the Friends of Chatterley Whitfield.
Cllr Dave Evans is ward councillor for the three-member Baddeley, Milton and Norton ward on Stoke-on-Trent City Council. Additionaly, Cllr Evans sits on Stoke-on-Trent City Council's Planning Committee.
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