Norfolk battery farm plans paused after public backlash
Plans for a battery storage facility in countryside have been put on hold following opposition from residents.
Plans for a battery storage facility in the Norfolk countryside have been put on hold following strong opposition from local residents.
RPC and Elmya Energy had proposed installing more than 1,000 battery containers on farmland in Rushall, near Diss, as part of a project known as Dodd’s Wood.
The facility was designed to store excess electricity generated by wind and solar farms for use at peak times.
But the plans sparked safety concerns, with locals warning that the lithium-ion batteries could pose a fire risk.
The companies say fire-resistant barriers and monitoring systems would have been in place, but have now “paused” the proposals following a short public consultation.
The project, which included a connection to the National Grid near Gissing, around five miles away, was seen as potentially linked to a wider plan to build the UK’s largest solar farm across a patchwork of fields between the two villages.
Supporters argue that Norfolk could become a national leader in renewable energy but many local communities remain worried about the impact on farmland, the rural landscape, and safety.
The energy companies have not commented on why the decision to pause was made, or whether the proposals could return in the future.