Allerton Bywater: Leeds Council leader hits out at battery farm plans as community 'vehemently opposed'

Coun James Lewis has joined around 800 residents in objecting to separate applications to build battery storage facilities a mile apart on greenbelt land near Allerton Bywater. Both sites lie in the Kippax and Methley ward, which Coun Lewis represents.

Environmental concerns and fears around the risk of fire linked to such sites, which have been backed by West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, have fuelled widespread opposition to both proposals.

Harmony Energy, which is behind one of the schemes off Barnsdale Road, has insisted the technology it uses is “extremely safe” and will offer a source of renewable energy.

But addressing a public meeting at St Mary The Less Church in Allerton Bywater on Tuesday night, Coun Lewis said he’d asked the developers to provide more information about the technology and fire mitigation.

He and ward colleague, Coun Mary Harland, have also asked the fire service to assess each site individually, as they’ve only provided word-for-word identical responses to previous applications for other battery farms.

Coun Lewis, who is objecting to the schemes in his capacity as a ward councillor, said: “The greenbelt we have round here is hard fought for and it’s something we want to protect.

“The fire service haven’t minced their words in terms of expressing their concerns about battery energy storage systems.

“In the worst case scenario, we could end up with firefighters standing on the site fighting fires for days. That’s not something any of us want to see.

“I don’t accept that this would meet the very special circumstances which need to be met to build on the greenbelt.”

Criticising Harmony Energy directly, Coun Lewis said: “They’ve made zero changes (to the plans) I believe between consulting people last November and submitting the application in August.

“I think that shows the value they place on consultation.”

Banks Renewables, which is behind the other application, has linked its proposed facility to a solar farm in the area, which was given planning permission in 2021.

But amid scepticism from locals about the green credentials of the battery farms, Councillor Lewis described the firm’s linking of the two sites as “cheeky”.

Local woman Ali Davies, who is leading the campaign against the schemes, said people remained “vehemently opposed” to them.

Speaking after the meeting, she said: “There are two main concerns, both equally as important. There’s the fire hazard and then there’s the environmental impact as well.

“The fire risk has been well publicised but in this particular location there’s the risk of destruction of the greenbelt and the industrialisation of this area as well.”

Responding to criticism of their plans earlier this month, Harmony Energy said: “We use Lithium-Ion Iron Phosphate (LFP) systems which are extremely safe and have been rigorously fire tested using international safety standards.

“Schemes would not be financeable or insurable if they were deemed to be a significant risk, and there are at least 130 utility scale battery systems operating safely in the UK and many thousands more across the globe.”

Banks, meanwhile, has previously insisted the benefits of battery storage sites “are proven and accepted”, and that their scheme had a “great deal of local support”.

A panel of local councillors will eventually have the final say on whether or not the schemes progress. That process is separate from the council’s leadership.

Kippax and Methley’s other ward councillor, Michael Millar, sits on that panel, and is therefore legally unable to either support or object to the application beforehand.