A plan for a renewable energy plant at a former quarry beside Colin Glen Forest Park in West Belfast has been approved.
Elected representatives at Belfast City Council ’s Planning Committee this week gave the green light to a battery energy storage system with storage capacity up to 50 megawatts. The proposal involves 25 battery container units and 25 substations, improvement to the existing access, landscaping and other ancillary site works.
The application, by Hannahstown BESS of Carrickmore, is located off an existing entrance on the Colinglen Road which originally served a former quarry. It is enclosed on all sides by dense vegetation and woodland, and is approximately 300 metres from the nearest residential dwellings.
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Battery energy storage systems are devices that enable energy from renewables such as solar and wind to be stored and released when required, resulting in greater energy efficiency.
There were no objections to the application from any of the statutory organisations, but three objecting representations were made to the council from the National Trust and the Belfast Hills Partnership. They raised issues surrounding the protection of existing trees, the impact on visual amenity, cabling, site drainage, safety, acoustic concerns, and potential alternative sites.
The council’s landscape team stated: “The scenic quality of the area has already been degraded somewhat due to historic mineral extraction and associated infrastructure. Due to existing landform and vegetation there is unlikely to be any significant adverse visual impact associated with the proposal.”
It adds: “The development is unlikely to have a significant adverse effect on the quality, character or features of interest. The landscape and visual appraisal has demonstrated that the development is likely to be assimilated within the landscape to some degree due to the site’s location on lower valley slopes and the intervening tree cover. In addition, proposed woodland and hedgerow planting will also help integrate development proposals within the existing landscape setting.”
The council report further states the proposal does not involve overhead electrical power lines or cables, and adds its tree officer had no objections subject to conditions.
A council officer told the committee: “It is recognised the need for a battery energy storage system has been identified by (the electrical utility company) SONI under their DS3 programme. The delivery of the DS3 programme is required to allow Northern Ireland to meet its renewable energy targets for 2020 and beyond.”
The application was agreed unanimously by all members of the Planning Committee.
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