Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of locating battery storage sites away from residential areas.

The Government has put in place a robust regulatory framework for grid-scale battery storage that protects people and the environment, which is kept under review to respond to changing circumstances. Recent reviews have considered both the planning system and environmental permitting regulations.

The Government has recently updated Planning Practice Guidance, which encourages battery storage developers to engage with local fire and rescue and local planning authorities to refer to the guidance published by the National Fire Chiefs Council. The Government intends to consult on including battery storage systems in the environmental permitting regulations at the earliest opportunity.