Balance Power - Fence Dike Lane

BACKGROUND

The BESS, which will cover 6.9 acres, will connect to the Leeming Bar Substation, situated adjacent to the site to the north.

Balance Power has been working closely with its project teams to ensure its proposals for the Fence Dike Lane BESS best reflect the comments and views received throughout the consultation process.  To that end, the team held a well-attended public consultation event held on 22 October 2025 at Coore Memorial Hall.

This event allowed residents, stakeholders, and other interested parties to learn more about the project and share their thoughts and concerns. We also received feedback through our digital feedback form hosted on our website during the consultation process.

You can see our public consultation boards, and an updated FAQs document is available on our project website below. The FAQs document addresses the main concerns raised during the consultation process.

Our full planning application will be visible on the North Yorkshire Council planning portal following validation. The application reference is: HAMZB26/00739/FUL. 

PRINCIPLES OF ENGAGEMENT

Balance Power is committed to early and meaningful engagement with the communities we propose working with.

This means ensuring that information is readily available for viewing, that the team is readily available to answer your questions, and that we listen to your feedback as much as possible.

Our intention is to:

1. Explain what battery energy storage systems are and how they support the UK’s transition to net zero.
2. Share detailed information about our proposals in a clear and accessible manner on this dedicated Project Website.
3. Respond to questions and feedback during the consultation period.
4. Encourage residents, neighbours and community groups to share their views.
5. Publish an FAQs after the consultation closes.
6. Remain available to address ongoing questions and provide updates beyond the consultation.

CONSULTATION

After discussions with the local Parish Council clerks, the team was delighted to propose a consultation event as an effective means of further engaging with neighbours. This follows a flyer drop to inform residents about the proposals available on this website and through discussions with local representatives.   

The intention now is to present accompanying exhibition boards of materials already offered on our project website, with the project team in attendance to answer any questions. This will be a walk-in event, with the team available between 3-7 pm at Coore Memorial Hall, Station Road, Scruton, DL7 0QN on 22 October. There will also be an FAQ document and a comment form. 

Both will be available from 9 am on this website on 22 October.

The consultation feedback window has also now been extended until Friday, 7 November. Neighbours will again be notified with a scheduled flyer drop containing information on how to learn more, as well as details on how to access our feedback form and register for further information.

We are committed to a two-way dialogue that we would like to continue throughout the process. Please consider registering for further updates.

PROPOSALS

1. About

The proposed redline site boundary covers approximately 6.9 acres, with the development area itself occupying around 1.85 acres. The remaining land within the red line is allocated for access roads, drainage infrastructure, and a comprehensive landscaping scheme designed to provide both visual screening and biodiversity net gain.

The Proposed Development would include a compound containing:

• 48 No. containerised modular battery units
• 12 inverter/transformer units
• 1 auxiliary transformer
• 1 storage room
• 1 control and welfare room
• 1 DNO room
• 1 Private substation
• Acoustic fence
• Security fence
• CCTV cameras
• Laydown area
• Parking bays
• Attenuation basin
• Underground tank
• Fire hydrants
• Comprehensive landscape planting scheme

Download our Plans:

Download our Illustrative Renders:

2. Why have you chosen this site?

A BESS is dependent on the availability of a grid connection, which must have both a suitable import and export capacity. The Leeming Bar substation has been identified as the Point of Connection (PoC) to have suitable capacity for the BESS.

The proximity to the PoC is a determining factor in site selection, whereby at greater distances the impact of transmission loss and voltage drop leads to inefficiencies.

3. What is Battery Energy Storage?

Battery storage sites are becoming increasingly important in the fight against climate change, helping to deliver better energy security and contribute towards keeping domestic energy bills down.

Battery storage plays a crucial role in the energy strategy, providing National Grid with real-time balancing services to manage the escalating variable levels of supply and demand.

By importing surplus intermittent renewable energy, especially during periods such as windless days or nights without solar power, batteries can store energy that would otherwise be lost.

Moreover, in situations where fossil fuel sources, such as traditional power stations, are decommissioned, BESS can fill the production gap, avert potential blackouts, and avoid the need to generate energy from fossil fuels. It is essential to note that the interconnected nature of the UK electricity network means that issues in one region can have widespread implications for the entire Grid. Consequently, BESSs provide additional capacity to address system stress and frequency variations at both local and national levels.

We believe that our site on Fence Dike Lane is an ideal location for our proposed BESS, given its proximity to the Leeming Bar substation, existing woodland screening and distance from immediate residential properties.

Key benefits include:

• Reducing the reliance on fossil-fuel facilities to generate electricity.
• Creating a secure and stable energy supply to the local network during times when renewable energy sources are inconsistent (sun not shining and wind not blowing).
• Fully integrating battery storage into the network, with a potential cost-saving of over £40 billion in the medium to long term for UK residents.
• Contributing to delivering lower fuel and domestic energy bills locally and nationally.

4.  Environmental Impact Screening Opinion

An Environmental Impact Screening Opinion was submitted to North Yorkshire Council on 8th October 2024. The Council’s response was received on 25th March 2025 (ZB24/01971/SCR). In accordance with the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017, North Yorkshire Council has confirmed that the project does not qualify as an EIA development, so an Environmental Statement is not required.

5. North Yorkshire Council

In July 2022, North Yorkshire County Council declared a climate emergency, a commitment that continues under the new North Yorkshire Council. As part of its Climate Change Strategy (2023–2030), the Council has made the renewable energy transition a top priority, including:

• “Increasing the amount of energy we generate and store from renewable sources”

• “Supporting innovation in energy storage, including battery storage and green hydrogen production and storage”

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1. What is your anticipated construction timeframe and where is your Site’s access? 

A new access will be constructed along the southern boundary of the site. A secondary emergency access will route from the west. The full construction period is anticipated to take 10-12 months.

A Construction Traffic Management Plan and Transport Statement will be submitted with the planning application.

2. What is the impact on heritage and listed buildings

There are no Listed Buildings or Scheduled Monuments nearby to the site. The nearest Listed Building (Hunters Farm, grade II) is located approximately 850m to the northeast. A Heritage Impact Assessment will be submitted with the planning application.

3. How will the BESS impact flooding?

The Site is not within an area at risk of flooding. However, a detailed drainage strategy and flood risk assessment will be submitted with the planning application.

4. Will I be able to see the BESS?

The site is naturally well-screened, with woodland along its eastern edge and a woodland block to the west. A mature hedgerow runs along the southern boundary next to Fence Dike Lane.

The planning application will be supported with a comprehensive Landscape Plan. This will illustrate the location of new native planting around the perimeter of the site. A combination of new native trees and hedgerow planting will provide visual screening once mature, whilst significantly improving biodiversity net gain.

A Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment will be submitted with the planning application.

5. What is the operational lifetime of the BESS

The Proposed Development would be operational for 40 years. Following this timeframe, all equipment will be removed, and the land will be restored to its original state and returned to agricultural use.

COMMUNITY BENEFITS

From the early stages of developing all our sites, we reach out to the community that will host the development and outline the local benefits it can bring.

We’re also keen to explore how this project can bring meaningful benefits to the local community, and we welcome your ideas.

Please provide your thoughts within the feedback questionnaire. 

WHO ARE BALANCE POWER?

Balance Power is a leading energy project developer in the UK, having secured planning consent for 39 projects nationwide, and it aims to deliver 2GW of new clean and stored energy within the next few years.

Balance Power aims to advance the UK Government’s net-zero 2050 objectives by accelerating the transition to a fully renewable energy mix through the deployment of suitable localised energy generation technologies.

Further information about Balance Power is available at: www.balancepower.co.uk

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