View 3 Images

A scheme to build a battery storage unit on greenbelt land for green energy has been approved by a government body despite councillors refusing planning permission earlier this year.

Battery firm Root Power applied to build the ‘critical’ battery system on a field near Medlock Road, Failsworth , next to Medlock Fishing Club. But councillors rejected what they described as an ‘ironic’ application in May, which they believed would ‘destroy greenbelt land in the name of environmental benefits’.

The purpose of the batteries is to store surplus solar energy so it can be fed into the electricity grid later when there’s higher demand, Joe Bennett, a representative for the firm, explained at a planning meeting in May. The system would help provide electricity for thousands of ho

See Full Page