Cookies

We use essential cookies to make our site work. We'd also like to set analytics cookies that help us make improvements by measuring how you use the site. These will be set only if you accept.

For more detailed information about the cookies we use, see our cookies page.

Essential Cookies

Essential cookies enable core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility. For example, the selections you make here about which cookies to accept are stored in a cookie.

You may disable these by changing your browser settings, but this may affect how the website functions.

Analytics Cookies

We'd like to set Google Analytics cookies to help us improve our website by collecting and reporting information on how you use it. The cookies collect information in a way that does not directly identify you.

Third Party Cookies

Third party cookies are ones planted by other websites while using this site. This may occur (for example) where a Twitter or Facebook feed is embedded with a page. Selecting to turn these off will hide such content.

Current Applications

The following planning applications are due to be considered by the Parish Council at the next meeting:

Reference: 25/01934/FUL

Alternative Reference: PP-14036570

Application Validated: Tue 27 May 2025

Address: Land Adjacent Haughmond View Uffington Shrewsbury Shropshire

Proposal: Erection of 1 no. detached dwelling and all associated works

Parish Council response: Object 

Status: Refuse

Appeal Status: Unknown

Please click on the link for more information

 

 

Reference: 25/02353/OUT


Proposal: Outline planning for the erection of 3 dwellings and all associated works


Location: Land Adjacent To Walldene, Uffington, Shrewsbury, Shropshire.

Parish Council response: Object 

Status: Pending Consideration

 

Please click on the link for more information. 

 

The following planning applications are pending consideration:

Reference: 25/00531/FUL

Alternative Reference: PP-13742079

Application Validated: Mon 24 Feb 2025

Address: Electricity Sub-station Uffington Shrewsbury Shropshire

Proposal: Installation of a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) and associated infrastructure.

Parish Council response: Object

Status: Pending Consideration

Please click on the link for more information 

On 15th July the Parish Council submitted the following objection:

Objection to Planning Application - Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), Uffington, Shropshire

Uffington is a small rural village with a narrow two-lane highway. Pedestrians and horse riders regularly use the narrow roads through the village. Concerns have previously been raised regarding traffic and speeding, and the existing road infrastructure is insufficient to manage an increase in traffic. The Parish Council is concerned that the safety of residents will be adversely affected by the increase in traffic.

Furthermore, the proposed access routes are not suitable for the type or volume of heavy goods vehicle traffic required during the construction and operational phases of a BESS facility. This contravenes Shropshire Council's Core Strategy Policy CS6 (Sustainable Design and Development Principles), which requires development to be accessible and safe for all users.

The site does not comply with guidance of the National Fire Chiefs Council, with poor site access for the emergency services to quickly attend and stop the fire spreading through the rest of the battery containers. The site is immediately adjacent to the A49 at Uffington, and any incidents could result in severe congestion, severely delaying the response from Shropshire Fire and Rescue units.

In addition, the risk of thermal runaway in lithium-ion battery cells is a well-documented safety hazard. The Fire Chiefs Council guidance specifically recommends minimum access distances and separation between battery containers, which this application appears not to meet. It is therefore contrary to Paragraph 110 and 112 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), which require developments to be safe, and to consider emergency access arrangements.

There will be an environmental impact as a result of this application. There is potential noise pollution from continuous operational noise which will have an impact on residents.
This application fails to provide a comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), contrary to the requirements under The Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017. In the absence of verified baseline noise data and modelling of operational noise (including cooling systems and inverters), the application should be considered premature. Noise intrusion would directly affect residential amenity, contravening Shropshire Local Plan Policy MD7a and NPPF Paragraph 185.

There are significant safety concerns regarding the possible hazards associated with this application. The Parish Council would like to request that all concerns raised by Councillor Mallon are addressed by Shropshire Council as part of the planning process.

In particular, the Parish Council requests that a full Quantitative Risk Assessment (QRA) and Fire Safety Management Plan be submitted before any approval is considered. The absence of these assessments means that the development may not comply with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. These are material considerations when assessing planning applications for high-risk infrastructure such as BESS.

Additionally, the site lies in close proximity to residential properties and agricultural land, with no clear mitigation strategy for potential leachate or chemical spill containment. This raises further concerns under NPPF Paragraph 174, which requires that planning decisions prevent unacceptable risks from pollution and land instability.

The Parish Council also notes that no meaningful community engagement has taken place in advance of this application, which conflicts with Paragraph 39 of the NPPF encouraging early and effective engagement to resolve issues before formal applications are submitted.

Given the lack of evidence of compliance with national safety guidance, the potential impact on residential amenity, the risks to public safety, and conflicts with established local and national planning policy, the Parish Council strongly objects to this application and urges Shropshire Council to refuse planning permission.