Stop Neston BESS
Latest news
Latest news on the Brockleaze battery storage application near Corsham: consultee objections, parish council decisions and consultation deadlines.
August 26, 2026
Environment agency point to risks of groundwater contamination
Response to EA objection Aug '26 - Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) with associated infrastructure
Highly polluting chemicals in batteries could enter groundwater and surface water in firewater or rainfall should battery containers become exposed in the event of a fire. The LPA should ensure mitigation is in place to ensure containment of this water. While in the event of a fire at a BESS, it is accepted best practice to let the containers on fire burn out, it is likely water will be used to cool neighbouring containers. This water could enter burning containers through surface water run off or directly from spray cooling neighbouring containers. Furthermore, during or following a fire at a BESS development, water could enter exposed containers through rainfall during the period of time it takes to remove or cover burnt out containers. Groundwater is sensitive in this location, being a secondary A aquifer and within a Source Protection Zone 2 for a public water supply.
Reference: Environment Agency formal response on groundwater protection and water safety for application PL/2025/05552. View Environment Agency comment on Wiltshire Planning Portal
July 28, 2026
Investigation into battery energy storage fire
BBC News investigation into safety protocols, emergency responses, and toxic smoke risks following major battery energy storage fire incidents.
Official investigations continue into large-scale battery storage fires across the UK, highlighting persistent questions over whether current emergency service provisions can safely contain thermal runaway events so close to residential communities.
Read the full BBC News report: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1myx91g1dvo
May 7, 2026
Short circuit in NMC batteries caused fire at UK BESS project
Industry investigation by ESS News confirms that an internal short circuit in NMC batteries was the root cause of a fire at a UK BESS project.
Technical analysis confirmed that cell-level short circuiting initiated catastrophic thermal runaway. The findings underscore that lithium-ion battery installations remain prone to internal failures that built-in automated fire suppression systems cannot reliably suppress.
Read the exclusive report on ESS News: https://www.ess-news.com/2026/05/07/exclusive-short-circuit-in-nmc-batteries-caused-fire-at-uk-bess-project/
April 22, 2026
Further battery fire reported at Moss Landing BESS plant
The Fire Protection Association reports on another serious fire outbreak at the flagship Moss Landing BESS installation.
Emergency crews were mobilized after yet another battery fire erupted at the world’s largest battery facility in California, proving that even showcase facilities designed with state-of-the-art safety systems continue to experience repeated thermal runaway emergencies.
Read the report in the Fire & Risk Management Journal: https://www.thefpa.co.uk/fire-and-risk-management-journal/news/further-battery-fire-reported-at-moss-landing-bess-plant
March 18, 2026
BESS Explosion in La Verne Forces Multiday Evacuation
Video report and news coverage of an explosive thermal runaway event at a BESS facility in La Verne, California, triggering mandatory multi-day evacuations.
An explosion and heavy toxic smoke release forced emergency authorities to issue immediate multiday evacuation orders for nearby neighborhoods and school facilities due to airborne chemical hazards.
Watch the news broadcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2o6t94kisbw
July 21, 2026
The Brockleaze BESS: Why Wiltshire Planners Should Say No
The proposed 1.6 GWh Battery Energy Storage System at Brockleaze near Corsham has drawn overwhelming objections from statutory consultees, local councils, and residents. Here’s why this application shouldn’t proceed:
Fire Safety Concerns
The biggest red flag: water tanks don’t hold what they claim. Dimensioned drawings show 76,000-litre capacity, yet documents claim 120,000 litres. At the required 1,900 litres/minute for two hours, this falls 40 minutes short. The applicant has also given four different figures for firefighting water requirements, and critical documents like the Emergency Response Plan remain incomplete or deferred post-consent.
Groundwater at Risk
The site sits within Source Protection Zone 2 above a Secondary A aquifer. The Environment Agency has maintained its objection since August 2025, concerned that contaminated firewater could leach into local groundwater. The applicant’s claim that MOT Type 1 material provides an “impermeable layer” is false—it’s a free-draining granular sub-base.
Devastating Impact on Bats
Surveys revealed 16 of Britain’s 18 bat species using this site, including four rare Annex II species and three species of European conservation concern. The site sits within core foraging areas for the internationally important Bath and Bradford-on-Avon Special Areas of Conservation. Yet no Habitats Regulations Assessment has been completed—a legal requirement before determination.
Contradictions Undermine the Application
The evidence base is riddled with inconsistencies:
- Seven different site area figures (ranging from 7.7 to 13.83 hectares)
- Construction traffic figures differ four-fold (2,230 vs 9,730 movements)
- The development description contains no capacity or time limit—allowing unlimited expansion post-consent
Landscape Destruction
The site occupies precious dark skies countryside with panoramic views to Salisbury Plain. The applicant’s own Landscape and Visual Appraisal admits “Moderate Adverse” effects and permanent residual harm to sensitive receptors like bridleway users.
Outstanding Objections
As of July 2026, statutory consultees still object:
- Environment Agency: Groundwater pollution
- Lead Local Flood Authority: Insufficient drainage compliance
- Wiltshire Ecology: Annex II bat assessment incomplete
- Highways: Access and passing places inadequate
Bottom Line
On the applicant’s own documents, this application isn’t ready for determination. Unresolved statutory objections, incomplete assessments, contradictory evidence, and irreversible environmental harm make refusal the only reasonable option.
February 23, 2026
Register your objection – consultation deadline extended to 13/03/2026
There is still time to object to the UK’s largest Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) proposed for Neston — but the deadline is March 13th.
This is the wrong project in the wrong place. The strength of local feeling is clear: 630 objections have already been submitted in a village of just 550 homes.
If you have not yet commented, please take a few minutes to do so via the Wiltshire Planning Portal here.
The application is expected to be considered by the County Council’s Strategic Planning Committee on Tuesday 21 April, so it is crucial that objections are submitted before 13 March.
January 28, 2026
Over 600 objections received to proposed Battery Energy Storage System at Neston
Following updated submissions from the Spanish developer Grenergy over 600 objections are now listed on the planning portal from a village of approximately 300 households. https://development.wiltshire.gov.uk/pr/s/planning-application/a0iQ300000F8sqbIAB/pl202505552?tabset-8903c=3
January 28, 2026
Wiltshire Council Drainage Team Objects to Neston BESS Development
Wiltshire Council’s drainage officers have formally objected to the proposed Neston Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) development due to unresolved flood-risk and surface-water drainage concerns.
The council says the applicant has failed to demonstrate that the site can manage surface water safely or that the development would not increase flooding on-site or in surrounding areas.
Although additional documents were submitted, officers confirm that none address the original objections raised in October 2025. As a result, the drainage objection remains in place until a satisfactory and sustainable drainage strategy is provided. https://development.wiltshire.gov.uk/pr/s/web-comment/a07Q300001HNsF2IAL/drainages-comment?tabset-ae70b=2
January 23, 2026
Environment Agency maintains objection to the BESS
The Environment Agency has maintained its objection against the BESS development as it has failed to demonstrate that the risks of pollution to the water environment can be adequately and safely managed. https://development.wiltshire.gov.uk/pr/s/web-comment/a07Q300001IOzTbIAL/environment-agencys-comment?tabset-ae70b=2
January 14, 2026
Melksham Without Parish Council objects to the BESS seeing serious concerns regarding flood risk, hydrology, fire safety, emergency response capacity and cumulative impact
Melksham Without Parish Council supports and endorses the objections submitted by Community Action: Whitley and Shaw (CAWS) in respect of planning application PL/2025/05552 for the Brockleaze Battery Energy Storage System (BESS). The Parish Council shares CAWS’s serious concerns regarding flood risk, hydrology, fire safety, emergency response capacity and cumulative impact, which together render this proposal unacceptable in its proposed location. https://development.wiltshire.gov.uk/pr/s/web-comment/a07Q300001HN6ITIA1/dorset-wiltshire-fire-and-rescues-comment
October 13, 2025
Parish planning committee notes plans have changed and concerns raised over water supply / fire-water arrangements
October 13 – the local parish planning committee (Melksham Without Parish Council) noted that the BESS application had proposed using hydrants for fire suppression, but that the plan was changed: the proposal moved from hydrants to water tanks. This change raised concerns about the adequacy of water supply / fire-water arrangements.
September 10, 2025
Local Residents Launch Anti-Neston BESS Campaign
Residents formed a coordinated campaign to raise awareness and provide expert-led analysis of fire risk, environmental damage and planning policy conflicts.
August 28, 2025
Over 500 objections by the time planning consultation closes
By the close of the planning consultation, more than 500 residents, local organisations, and expert contributors had submitted detailed objections to Wiltshire Council. The overwhelming volume and consistency of the concerns made it clear that the community’s opposition is based on serious planning, safety, and environmental issues—not emotion or NIMBYism.
The most common themes raised in the objections were:
1. Fire Risk & Public Safety
Residents highlighted the growing number of lithium-ion BESS fires nationally and globally, the absence of enforceable UK safety regulations, and the unacceptable proximity of the proposed 450MW site to homes, schools, a care facility, and public footpaths. Many stressed that a fire or thermal runaway event could require mass evacuation and cause toxic smoke exposure.
2. Traffic, Access & Road Safety
The proposed 2,230 HGV journeys and 200+ daily worker trips during the 12–15 month construction phase raised significant concerns. Residents pointed to the narrow rural roads used by children, cyclists, pedestrians, and horse riders, and questioned the accuracy of the developer’s claim that pedestrian use is “negligible.”
3. Environmental Damage & Loss of Rural Character
Objections referenced the industrialisation of 25 acres of greenfield countryside, the loss of wildlife habitat, and impacts on a peaceful rural landscape recognised in Wiltshire’s own Landscape Character Assessment. Many noted that the National Planning Policy Framework prioritises brownfield sites for such developments.
4. Noise Pollution & Impact on Daily Life
The 108 battery containers and associated cooling systems are expected to generate 83–85 dB, equivalent to a diesel train or low-flying propeller aircraft. Residents expressed concern about constant low-frequency noise affecting homes, walkers, and recreational users within at least 350m.
5. Unsuitability of the Site
Many objections challenged the choice of location: a greenfield site 3km from the Melksham substation, despite the presence of brownfield alternatives nearer the grid. Residents questioned why Wiltshire Council should allow industrial development in a protected landscape when more suitable sites exist.
6. Lack of Community Benefit
Residents noted that the project provides no direct link to renewable energy, no local economic benefit, and no contribution to community infrastructure—describing it instead as a commercial energy-arbitrage venture.
7. Concerns About the Developer’s Experience
Several objectors questioned the developer’s track record, noting that Grenergy has no BESS operating in the UK and none anywhere near the 450MW scale proposed, meaning the project carries untested operational and safety risks.
August 10, 2025
Grenergy Submits Planning Application (PL/2025/05552)
The application included technical reports on traffic, noise, landscape impact, hydrology and fire safety, triggering the start of the statutory consultation period.
July 10, 2025
Updated Site Layout and Visual Impact Documents Shared
New documents revealed extensive industrialisation of 25 acres of rural greenfield land, including large visible infrastructure and habitat loss.
June 10, 2025
Construction Traffic Management Plan Released
The traffic plan outlined 2,230 HGV journeys and 200+ daily vehicle trips, with routes running through Corsham and narrow rural roads used by families, cyclists, pedestrians and horse riders.
June 10, 2025
Noise Assessment for Neston BESS Published
Grenergy’s noise report revealed expected levels of 83–85 dB, comparable that of a diesel train or propeller aircraft at 1,000 feet, with adverse impacts expected for anyone within 350m of the site.
June 10, 2025
Parliamentary Debate Raises National BESS Safety Concerns
A cross-party debate in Parliament highlighted the urgent need for national BESS fire safety regulations, citing the rise in lithium-ion battery fires and the absence of enforceable standards. Battery Energy Storage Sites: Safety Regulations – Hansard – UK Parliament
April 3, 2025
Grenergy Hosts Public Webinar on Brockleaze BESS Proposal
Grenergy held an online webinar introducing its plan to build what would become the UK’s largest Battery Energy Storage System (BESS). Residents raise early concerns about fire safety, environmental impact, and the lack of national safety regulation. When asked; ‘How will you ensure the BESS is charged from renewable sources?’ Grenergy respond;’ We cannot ensure that the BESS is charged only from renewable resources. The scheme will take power from the grid, so will store whatever energy mix is in the national grid at that time.’
Campaigning for residents of Neston, Corsham, Atworth, Wadswick, Box, Rudloe, Gastard, Whitley, Melksham, Chippenham and across Wiltshire against the proposed Brockleaze battery energy storage system at Neston. Contact: contactus@stopnestonbess.com