Basingstoke Gazette report that a new law will be put forward to Parliament to make battery storage facilities less of a danger to people and the environment.
Basingstoke’s MP Maria Miller intervention comes following planning permission being granted for a new lithium battery storage facility in Basing Fenn next to Basingstoke town centre, a local hospital, and within meters of the River Loddon – one of the major tributaries to the River Thames.
Ms Miller said “Last September I tabled a Bill in Parliament which sought to address this problem based on the experience we have had in Basingstoke. This new law would mean that the Environment Agency, Health and Safety Executive and the Fire Service would be consulted before any similar planning application is considered. In the view of many industry experts, academics, and fire officers, this approach would stop batteries from being constructed at inappropriate and potentially dangerous locations. I am working with Ministers and government officials to explore amendments that can be tabled to the upcoming Energy Security Bill to implement these changes.’’
Ms Miller said: “Switching to renewable energy is essential but it has to be safe.”