Welcome to the proposed
Elstree Battery Energy Storage Site
Consultation Website
On this website we introduce the various elements of the proposed scheme, the justification behind it, and explain how you can stay informed about the project and provide us with your thoughts about it.
The proposed scheme will allow for the most efficient use of energy, in connection with the adjacent National Grid Substation. It will enable energy received from renewable sources, such as wind and solar, to be stored and then released when customers need power most.
This website will be updated as the project progresses.
At present, the plans are at a comparatively early stage. We intend to obtain feedback from the local community about the proposals, to help inform the final version of the application. This website assists us in obtaining comments from the local community through the ‘Comments’ tab at the top of this page. We have already notified the following stakeholders about the intended application, in order to increase awareness in the local community;
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Aldenham Parish Council
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Letchmore Heath Village Trust
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Ward Councillors
We hope you find the website of interest and look forward to hearing from you via the Comments page or through the Contact details provided.
About Us
The Applicant, Chiltern Green Energy Ltd, is a Bedfordshire based company that has been planning for and introducing renewable energy schemes since 2010 (previously known as Chiltern Renewables Ltd). Their initial scheme, for a 5 MW Solar Farm, was introduced some 13 years ago at Cotswold Business Park, Caddington, Bedfordshire.
The company are currently progressing 9 renewable projects across the south of England involving Solar Farms and Battery Storage, which have the combined potential to generate almost 2000MW of renewable energy. The projects have also included financial contributions to the local communities to assist with community projects, typically managed by the local Parish Council.
Consultant Team
CGE Ltd are supported by an experienced Consultant Team who have been involved with many of the company’s previous projects. AM2 Planning are the planning agent and Pegasus Group provide expert input for many of the other disciplines that are necessary for such a scheme.
Why This Site?
SITE LOCATION
When electricity is transferred over distance there will be a loss of part of that electrical energy through ‘leakage’. This is primarily in the form of heat. The very close proximity of the application site to the established Elstree Substation will help ensure that any leakage is minimised and the energy is managed in the most efficient manner.
The site is in different ownership to the adjacent Aldenham Estate land, over which a Solar Farm application is currently 'called in' for determination by the Secretary of State.
It is recognised that the site does have a number of constraints that will need careful consideration in preparing the scheme, as explained below…..
Site Analysis
The following works will be undertaken to support any future planning application on this site, and inform the final design of the scheme.
To view the various disciplines under consideration, click on the side arrows below:
The site comprises mostly arable land with some grassland in the north-west and is shown as good to moderate quality Grade 3 agricultural land on the Provisional Agricultural Land Classification (ALC) map. However, the Provisional ALC map is not accurate for classifying individual sites because of limitations of scale. A detailed scale and ALC survey has been undertaken for the site which shows that all of the land intended for development falls within Class 3B, which is outside of the best and most versatile category.
Agricultural Land Quality
Battery Storage
What is battery storage?
Battery storage technologies are essential to speeding up the replacement of fossil fuels with renewable energy. Battery storage systems will play an increasingly pivotal role between green energy supplies and responding to electricity demands.
Battery storage, or battery energy storage systems (BESS), are devices that enable energy from renewables, like solar and wind, to be stored and then released when customers need power most.
Lithium-ion batteries, which are used in mobile phones and electric cars, are currently the dominant storage technology for large scale plants to help electricity grids ensure a reliable supply of renewable energy.
Why is battery storage important and what are its benefits?
Battery storage technology has a key part to play in ensuring homes and businesses can be powered by green energy, even when the sun isn’t shining or the wind has stopped blowing.
Everyday engineers at electricity grids must match supply with demand. Managing these peaks and troughs becomes more challenging when the target is to achieve net zero carbon production, by phasing out fossil fuel plants that have traditionally been used as a back-up to provide a reliable, steady supply of energy.
The UK government estimates technologies like battery storage systems – supporting the integration of more low-carbon power, heat and transport technologies – could save the UK energy system up to £40 billion by 2050, ultimately reducing people’s energy bills.
How does a battery storage system work?
Intelligent battery software uses algorithms to coordinate energy production and computerised control systems are used to decide when to keep the energy to provide reserves or release it to the grid. Energy is released from the battery storage system during times of peak demand, keeping costs down and electricity flowing.
Our Proposal
In this instance the established Elstree Sub Station receives an increasing amount of energy generated from renewable sources, which it cannot make the best use of, for reasons explained in the ‘Battery Storage’ section. The proposed scheme will therefore help manage such electricity by storing it until it is needed.
The batteries will be introduced to 4 ha of the 12 ha site as is apparent on the Illustrative Layout below. The batteries themselves will be positioned within storage container structures to a height of approximately 3m. Each container will have a footprint of approximately 6m x 2.5m, and it is expected that approximately 400 of them will be introduced to the site.
ILLUSTRATIVE MASTERPLAN
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In addition to the containers, the scheme will also include Substations, Transformers, Switchrooms and Inverter Units as shown on the Illustrative Layout above.
The siting of the containers will be based upon detailed survey work. This will help ensure that Ecology and important trees and hedgerows are allowed for in any subsequent layout.
The scheme will also incorporate a considerable area of Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG). This area, of approximately 6 ha, will enable the enhancement of the current biodiversity levels across the site, through the introduction of planting and new habitats to encourage local wildlife to thrive.
From information available to date a landscape strategy has been drawn up and CGI’s generated to understand what the scheme will look like from relevant surrounding viewpoints in the short and longer term. The following images firstly show a proposed Landscape Strategy with planting proposals, and the associated predicted views from a point on footpath PRoW Aldenham 014, looking from Letchmore Heath towards the site. As is apparent, the proposed development will be largely screened from the footpath by new planting at the end of Year 1, and thoroughly so by year 15.
LANDSCAPE STRATEGY
LANDSCAPE STRATEGY (REVISED)
![P23-0080_EN_05J Landscape strategy[71].jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/7ffde8_391579dc2f5848c795f8aee2bd8e2fd2~mv2.jpg/v1/crop/x_1208,y_764,w_4538,h_3121/fill/w_470,h_323,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/P23-0080_EN_05J%20Landscape%20strategy%5B71%5D.jpg)
![P23-0080_EN_05J Landscape strategy[71] LEGEND.jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/7ffde8_3511b68002494d37999047cd4479d033~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_465,h_150,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/P23-0080_EN_05J%20Landscape%20strategy%5B71%5D%20LEGEND.jpg)
Following consultations with the Local Authority, we have been able to put forward a significant reduction in the scale of development proposed at the site. Evolving battery technology has meant that we are now able to implement the same level of energy storage with fewer batteries, across a smaller area than initially proposed. The revised layout show a reduction in the proposed developed area accordingly, which has the effect of moving both the batteries and the substation further away from the highway, and significantly the housing beyond
Viewpoint 5 - Existing
View from PROW Aldenham 014 looking south west
The below images shows an established battery storage sites, to give an indication of what the structures will look like, albeit for reasons explained above, views of the proposed scheme from outside of the site will be largely screened.
Typical Battery Storage site in operation
Finally, the Applicant recognises that it is reasonable for the local community that hosts such a scheme, to gain some direct benefit from it, in addition to the green energy benefits already referred to. When introducing other renewable energy schemes the Applicant has agreed with the local Parish Council to provide an annual financial contribution to assist with local projects, and they would be happy to do the same in this instance. Discussions will be held in due course with Aldenham Parish Council in this respect, but if any other bodies might be appropriate to manage such contributions please advise through the comments page.
Updates
Updates on the project will be confirmed here as matters progress.
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8th August 2023 - Public Consultation Website published
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4th September 2023 - Meeting with Aldenham Parish Council
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5th September 2023 - Meeting with Letchmore Heath Village Trust
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24th October 2023 - Screening Opinion Response from Hertsmere Borough Council received confirming that an Environmental Statement is not required as part of the application process.
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14th November 2023 - Planning Application validated by Hertsmere Borough Council (ref 23/0158/OUT)