Heath battery farm plan recommended for approval
A spokesperson for the company said no properties within the village of Heath would be able to see the seven-hectare site and that its cultural heritage assessment had been "robust".BESS facilities take in power from renewable energy sources and then release it back to the National Grid when demand is high.The planning application for the site was submitted in 2022 and a council report outlines reasons for the three-year delay in a decision on the scheme, which include changes to national planning policy and the area's Local Plan.Planning officers said the site was previously designated green belt but had been reclassified as grey belt.They said there was "considered to be no technical reasons to withhold planning permission" and have recommended the scheme be approved at a meeting on 17 July, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
A total of 130 comments in support of the proposal have been received by Wakefield Council.But a spokesperson for the I Love Heath Common campaign group previously said: "Harmony Energy is showing a blatant disregard for local feeling."There is nothing renewable about a battery storage facility. It is a standalone industrial development."They added: "Its sole purpose is as a business opportunity, and it is certainly not a source of renewable energy."Campaigners said two historical buildings – the Grade II-listed Dame Mary Bolles Water Tower and the Whittling Well – are situated less than 100m from the proposed BESS site.West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority (WYFRA) also previously said the risks were "very real and are becoming more common".But Harmony Energy argued: "Schemes would not be financeable or insurable if they were deemed to be a significant risk."The company lodged an appeal with the Planning Inspectorate following the three-year delay in determining the application.A four-day public inquiry is expected to be held over the matter at a date yet to be confirmed.
Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
12 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Inflation is home-grown: Reeves has the right ambitions, but the wrong execution, says MAGGIE PAGANO
What planet is Rachel Reeves on? Just hours after the Chancellor assured her City audience at the Mansion House dinner that Labour is building a 'Britain that is better off', up pop inflation numbers showing that the country is markedly less well off than a year ago. As the latest figures from the Office of National Statistics show, the UK's inflation rate ticked up to 3.6 per cent in the year to June – nearly double the target rate – and up from 3.4 per cent in May. It's the steepest rise since January last year. Reeves can't have been doing much of her own food shopping recently, or had to handle household bills for her two homes. Otherwise she would have seen for herself that even the most basic of foods like butter and milk have been shooting up, as have energy costs, water bills and rents. As any regular shopper could have told her weeks ago, food prices have been creeping up again for some time. In June, they were 4.4 per cent higher, the third month in a row that prices have risen and the frothiest increase for 18 months. But the biggest driver behind the June price hikes compared to a year ago are rising housing costs – despite interest rate cuts – including rents which are up by 5.8 per cent. Energy costs were up by 6.8 per cent despite an overall fall in fuel prices while water bills shot up by a staggering 26 per cent. And the reason for inflation running hot again? This time energy and raw material costs can't be blamed solely on Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Donald Trump's tariffs or even the Middle East. This time businesses are being more honest – they are passing on higher costs to their customers because of the recent increase in employers' National Insurance (NI) and other tax rises. It's a home-grown problem. An own goal, if you like. In which case, you have to ask whether the Chancellor is either delusional or blind when making other equally extraordinary claims during her speech. Labour, she said, had 'restored Britain's reputation as a beacon of stability by putting the public finances back on a stable footing'. Really? Reeves is pulling our leg. Gilt yields are high, growth is risible if not grinding to a halt, demand is down, the welfare state continues to balloon and the public finances are in dire straits. Figures out today are likely to show a further shake-out in the jobs market triggered by the NI increases, confirming recent warnings by Andrew Bailey, the Bank of England Governor, that the jobs tax is leading to greater unemployment. That is why, despite the latest figures, interest rates are likely to be trimmed in August. When will the Chancellor learn that you can't deliver growth by parroting that you want it? Human endeavour doesn't work like that. If you want entrepreneurs and companies to risk their capital, they must feel confident about a brighter future – and potential rewards – rather than booking flights to Dubai. That's why her much-mooted Big Bang-style Leeds Reforms, aimed at making the 'country more active and more confident', are such a damp squib. Her ambition is the right one, but badly executed. More worryingly, these reforms may lead to another wave of dangerous light-touch regulation – just like we saw under the last Labour administration. She's right that the London Stock Exchange needs to be made more attractive for listings and that households should be encouraged to invest in equities. UK adults own the smallest amount of their wealth in investments of any G7 country at 8 per cent. But you can't order companies to list in London if they can get better valuations across the Atlantic. And you can't order savers to put their money into equities or invest in unquoted companies, however much Sid might tell you to, and certainly not order them to invest more in UK companies, without incentives. So it's not surprising that most City figures are decidedly underwhelmed by her Leeds Reforms, while the rest of us are simply bemused. It would have been much cleverer if Reeves had looked to Sweden where households invest 50 per cent of their assets in equities and investment funds, up from a third just two decades ago. And how was this achieved? First, the government abolished stamp duty on equities, then introduced investment savings accounts which attracted a small flat tax. No capital gains or dividend tax. Big, bold and simple. That's what we should do here instead of the usual fiddling around.
Daily Mail
12 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Tempest fighter jet faces delayed take-off as BAE admits it will be 'set to fly within three years'
BAE Systems has insisted the prototype of Britain's new fighter jet will take off on time amid fears over delays. The defence giant yesterday said the demonstrator plane for the planned new generation Tempest fighter jet is 'set to fly within three years'. That sparked fears it may take to the skies later than the previous target of 2027. But last night BAE told the Mail it would be 'ready for first flight' by December 2027, although the exact date was still to be finalised. BAE insists there is 'no delay' and that the jet remains 'on track' for completion within a 'five-year window' announced in 2022. A spokesman said last night: 'The Flying Combat Air Demonstrator will be ready for first flight by the end of 2027.' It is understood that the precise timing of the first flight will be dependent not just on when the aircraft is ready, but also the sign-off from the Military Aviation Authority regulator and the Ministry of Defence. The 'Future Combat Air System' (FCAS) project to create Tempest was given a 'red' rating in the Government's latest Infrastructure and Projects Authority Annual Report 2023-24, published in January. That means a high likelihood of the project failing to be achieved on time or on budget. An artist's impression of the demonstrator aircraft was revealed for the first time yesterday. It is the first demonstrator aircraft to be built in Britain for nearly 40 years, since an early model of the Typhoon in 1989. The sleek design includes weapon systems hidden inside the fuselage to reduce radar presence, similar to the US B-2 stealth bomber. The demonstrator plane is being created as part of efforts to develop the Tempest jet through an international collaboration involving Britain, Italy and Japan. BAE Systems, working on the demonstrator with partner firms Rolls-Royce and MBDA, together with the Ministry of Defence, said a 'major milestone' has been passed with two-thirds of the plane's structure now being manufactured. Herman Claesen, managing director for BAE's FCAS programme, said: 'We're working to a 2035 timeframe to start operational capability.' Separately, BAE revealed a British-made drone system has become the first in the world to successfully launch an air-to-air missile strike against another uncrewed aircraft during trials in the US. The TRV-150 'unmanned aerial system' was created by British-based research and development company Malloy and is being marketed by BAE.
The Sun
12 minutes ago
- The Sun
Major card chain with 163 shops launches closing down sales ahead of shutting its doors for good
A MAJOR card chain has launched a closing down sale as it shuts more shops. Clintons closed 38 stores leading to over 300 jobs losses in the previous financial year. 2 During its latest financial update, the company acknowledged the possibility of additional closures. One of its branches in Rugby Central is set to close after it recently launched a closing down sale. While they haven't yet confirmed a date, staff told Warwickshire World that "it could be next April". Last month its Keighley, West Yorkshire store closed its doors on June 14. In the run up to the closure, the store offered 20 per cent discounts across items. Another store in Leamington Spa was offering discounts of up to 50 per cent as part of an "everything must go" sale. The Warwickshire branch is yet to announce a final closure date. Two other stores - in Halifax and Andover - shut for good in April. The closures come even after a financial turnaround that saw it return to profit. Clintons said that rising costs driven by labour tax hikes and the increasing minimum wage continued to make some of its stores financially unviable. The popular card shop announced a pre-tax profit of £8 million for the financial year ending 29 June 2024. It was a notable turnaround from the previous financial year which saw a £5.3 million pre-tax loss. In March 2024, the company was acquired by Pillarbox Designs. A statement from Clintons read: "The company has continued to close loss-making stores and the portfolio of retail stores is now down to approximately 170 stores. "The high street continues to be unpredictable and the company is seeing reduced footfall in the stores year on year. "The company continues to monitor the performance of the existing estate and to close the poor performing stores, which, whilst impacting on turnover, should improve profitability moving forwards." Like many businesses, Clintons now faces higher employer national insurance contributions, which have risen from 13.8% to 15%. Additionally, the threshold at which these contributions must be paid has been lowered from £9,100 to £5,000. These changes to the tax system were confirmed by the Chancellor in the Autumn Budget last October and came into effect on 1 April. At the same time, the national minimum wage saw a notable increase, rising to £12.21 per hour. For workers aged 18-20, the minimum wage increased by £1.40 to £10 per hour. Clintons was first launched back in 1968 - and quickly became a go-to for Brits looking for greetings cards. At its peak the chain boasted more than 1,000 branches across the country. This has now dropped to just 163 brick-and-mortar stores. 2
