Thirsk battery storage plan fears over 'finest view in England'
More than 360 responses from the public to a consultation about the scheme have raised objections, with four responses lodged in support of the plans, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.South Kilvington Parish Council and Thirsk Town Council have also urged North Yorkshire Council to reject the battery energy storage system plans.In an objection letter, a North York Moors National Park spokesperson said the development would be "visible at a distance of between 5 and 6km (3 to 3.7 miles) from key locations".These include the "finest view in England" viewing platform near Sutton Bank National Park Centre and the top of Whitestonecliffe above Gormire Lake, they said.The visitor centre received 146,347 visitors in 2024, with the views over the vale being its "unique selling point," the spokesperson added."The total number of battery units proposed (1,096) across the two battery compounds, and amounting in themselves to over 30,000m2 footprint, is very substantial," the letter said.The authority also raised concerns about possible light pollution.
'Carefully designed'
NatPower's scheme includes plans for a nature recreation area with a wetland, ponds and outdoor education facilities.The firm said it looked forward to working with all statutory consultees as the application progressed.A spokesperson added: "Our proposals have been carefully designed to minimise any impact on the surrounding area, including views from the North York Moors National Park.""We are committed to ensuring that our plans respect the local landscape, and we will provide further details in subsequent reserved matters applications in line with planning requirements."The planning application has not yet been decided by North Yorkshire Council.Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here.
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